After Treatment Care

Non-Surgical Instructions

Fillings – Silver and Tooth Colored

Eat as softer diet for the rest of today. Hot and cold sensitivity is typical for up to 2-3 weeks.

Call our office if sensitivity persists or if bit is not correct.

Sealants

You may eat or drink right away.

Your bite may seem different at first.

Call our office if your bite does not seem normal within 2-3 days.

Pulp Caps – Direct or Indirect

These are done when a previous filling, or new tooth decay, is close to the nerve. They are designed to help the tooth repair itself, hopefully avoiding the need for a root canal.

Please call our office if you are unable to chew on the affected tooth, have excessive hot or cold sensitivity, or if you have spontaneous pain (for no apparent reason).

Root Canal Therapy

The procedure has been done in an attempt to save your tooth, despite significant damage to the tooth and nerve.

Expect moderate discomfort for several days after your appointment.

You may be given a prescription for analgesics and/or antibiotics. Please take these as directed – especially remembering to finish the entire course of antibiotics (if given).

Call our office if you experience significant swelling or are unable to chew on the affected area.

Temporary Crown

The gingival/gums will be tender for a couple days. Do not eat anything sticky or hard because you may loosen the temporary crown.

When flossing, do not pull up with the floss; pull floss out along the side of the teeth.

Permanent Crowns

The gingival/gums may be tender for a couple days. Resume daily flossing immediately.

Hot and cold sensitivity is normal, but should decrease steadily over the next 7-10 days. Brush, floss, and eat normally after 1-2 hours.

Numbness

Do NOT eat until the numbness is gone. You might accidentally bite your lips or tongue.

Do NOT drink any hot liquids (You may burn yourself).

Some numbness may remain for up to 4-5 hours.

Post Treatment Discomfort

If you weren’t given a prescription for pain relief, you can usually get relief from over the counter analgesics, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) 1000mg every 4 hours, Motrin IB/Advil (Ibuprofen) 400mg every 4 hours, or Aleve (Naproxen Sodium) 220mg every 8-12 hours.

Post Surgical Instructions

1. Bleeding

   Take gauze squares, fold in quarters, slightly dampen the round/flat side (with no folds) and place rounded/flat side over extraction site. Bite firmly. Change gauze every 30-45 minutes. Check your mouth for obvious bleeding before replacing gauze. It is not unusual for oozing to last several hours, but this usually does not require using gauze. If the gauze does not seem to be working, soak a tea bag in cold water, and then bite firmly on it for 30-45 minutes. Tannic acid in the tea bag aids in clotting.

2. Do not smoke or rinse your mouth today

   Don’t spit, drink through a straw, or pick at the area. Any kind of suction in your mouth for the first 1-2 days may result in the loss of the blood clot. This is called a DRY SOCKET, and it is very painful. Smoking is the main cause of dry sockets! Starting tomorrow, rinse your mouth gently, every 4-5 hours, generally after meals, with warm salt water (as warm as and as salty as is comfortable). Continue this for several days or until you no longer trap food in the extraction site.

3. Pain

   For mild to moderate pain, use a non-aspirin pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). For stronger pain, follow your prescription instructions explicitly. DO NOT increase your dosage of pain relievers unless instructed by the doctor! Be careful when taking prescription pain relievers! Many of them cause drowsiness or alter your reflexes. Avoid driving, operating power tools, climbing, or other dangerous activity while taking prescription pain relievers.

4. Ice Application

   Chip some ice and put it in a zip lock plastic bag. Hold it over the area, 5 minutes on 5 minutes off, for 30-40 minutes at a time. Repeat every 3-4 hours for swelling reduction. This may also be used if you forget to take a pain reliever, or to take the edge off of the pain until your pain reliever begins to work.

5. Food

   A softer diet is recommended for several days after an extraction. Stay away from hard crunchy foods such as pretzels, corn chips, popcorn, etc. Pieces may lodge in the socket and removing them may remove the blood clot.

6. Bony Edges

   Small fragments of bone may work their way out of the socket during healing. They are NOT pieces of tooth, but are pieces of bone which have lost their blood supply and have become devitalized (died). These usually come out on their own. If they become annoying, please contact our office for the appropriate treatment.

7. Questions

   If any unusual symptoms occur, or if you have any questions, feel free to call our office (906-482-3621). The proper care following oral surgical procedures will hasten recovery and prevent complications.