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Home Care

Post-Op Instructions Extractions

Follow these instructions carefully to ensure the successful healing of your tooth extraction.

When to call us

It is normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a tooth extraction, but call us right away if you have:

  • Heavy or increased bleeding
  • Pain or swelling that increases or continues beyond two or three days
  • A bad taste or odor in your mouth
  • A reaction to the medication
  • Rinse with warm salt water
  • Lie down with your head elevated

During the first 24 hours

It is important that a blood clot forms on the extraction site to stop bleeding, reduce pain, and speed healing. To protect the clot and avoid the pain of dry socket:

  • Bite on a gauze pad for 30-60 minutes. Blood and saliva mix in the mouth and make it look like there is more bleeding than there really is. Some oozing is normal; however, after 1 hour, repeat with a clean gauze pad if oozing is profuse. The site could ooze for as long as 24 hours.
  • Don’t spit, and don’t suck on candies or through a straw.
  • Don’t rinse your mouth, and don’t brush or floss next to the site.
  • Don’t smoke or use tobacco. Avoid tobacco for at least 72 hours because it slows healing.
  • Don’t sneeze or cough, so have sinus or allergy medication on hand if necessary.
  • Limit yourself to calm activities, and elevate your head with pillows when you lie down to reduce bleeding.
  • Don’t drink hot, carbonated, or alcoholic drinks, and avoid hot or spicy foods.

To control discomfort, take pain medication before the anesthetic has worn off or as recommended.

Discussing post-op instructions

To keep swelling to a minimum, use an ice bag over the area, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off.

When the numbness has worn off completely, drink lots of fluids and eat only soft nutritious foods, chewing on the opposite side.

After the first 24 hours

Begin to eat normally as soon as it’s comfortable.

Resume brushing and flossing, but clean gently around the site for about a week.

If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

Reduce soreness or swelling by applying moist heat. Swelling usually starts to go down after 48 hours.

Further reduce swelling by rinsing your mouth very gently with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. Rinse two to three times a day for the week following the extraction.


Homecare Temporary Crowns

Homecare Temporary Crowns

Chewing and eating

  • Now that we have placed a temporary crown, it is important to follow these recommendation to ensure the success of your final restoration.
  • If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.
  • Avoid chewing for at least one half-hour to allow the temporary cement to set.
  • To keep your temporary crown in place, avoid eating hard or sticky foods, especially chewing gum. If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.
  • Rinse with warm salt water
  • Use a desensitizing toothpaste
  • Call if sensitivity or discomfort persists

Brushing and flossing

Brushing normally, but floss very carefully. Remove floss from the side to prevent removal of the temporary crown. In some cases, we may advice you to avoid flossing around the temporary crown. If

If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity increases or persists beyond a few days, call us.

Medication and discomfort

Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed.

To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of water. It is normal for your gums to be sore for several days.

When to call us

Call us if your temporary crown comes off. Save the temporary, so it can re-cemented. It is very important for the proper fit of your final crown that your temporary crown stay in place.

Call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days, or if you have any questions or concerns.

Homecare SRP 

Scaling and root planing aftercare

Now that you’ve had scaling and root planing therapy, it’s important to follow these recommendations to speed healing.

  • Don’t eat until the numbness has completely worn off.
  • For the first 48 to 72 hours, restrict your diet to soft foods such as yogurt, scrambled eggs and soup, until you can comfortably chew. Then, chew on the side of your mouth opposite to the procedure site.
  • Avoid alcoholic drinks and hot or spicy foods until your gums are healed.
  • Don’t use any tobacco products for at least 72 hours because tobacco slows healing.
  • If we used anesthetic, take pain medication before the anesthetic has worn off to control any discomfort or as recommended. It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days after scaling and root planing.
    • Avoid alcohol.
    • Use an ice pack.
    • Some discomfort is normal.
    • Planing a tooth root.
  • For the first 6 hours after the procedure, apply an ice pack, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, to decrease pain and swelling.
  • After 24 hours, reduce discomfort and swelling by rinsing your mouth very gently 3 times a day with warm salt water. Use about 1 teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water.
  • Brush the treated area very lightly the first night. To make this more comfortable, first, rinse your brush under hot water to soften the bristles.
  • The next day, begin flossing lightly and gradually return to normal homecare over the next week. It’s normal to have some slight bleeding when you brush and floss the treated areas for the first few days. Brush and floss the non-treated areas of your mouth normally. Use a desensitizing toothpaste if your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure.
  • If we prescribed a medicated mouth rinse, use it as directed. Avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol.
  • Call us also if discomfort is not diminishing day by day, or swelling increases or continues beyond 3 or 4 days. And please, call us any time if you have questions or concerns.


Caring for your Dentures 

Denture Care

Now that you received your denture, it is important to follow these recommendations to ensure its success.

Chewing and eating

To protect your denture, avoid chewing ice or other hard objects.

Brushing and flossing

Brush your tongue, gums, palate, and any remaining teeth at least twice a day to keep them free or plaque and bacteria. We may recommend dental floss, mouth rinses or other cleaning aids. Dentures also must be kept free of plaque to prevent permanent staining, irritation, and bad breath.

Cleaning your denture

  • Remove and rinse your denture with cool water after every meal to remove food particles.
  • Denture care products
  • Do not chew ice cubes
  • Clean the denture over water
  • Use a denture brush and a denture cleaning product at least once a day to thoroughly clean all of the surfaces of your denture.
  • Clean your denture over a sink full of water to prevent your denture from breaking if it is accidentally dropped. Periodically soak your denture in a commercial soaking solution, or if your denture has no metal parts, you can soak it in a solution of half white vinegar and half water.
  • After soaking, rinse dentures, thoroughly in cool water.

Sleeping and storing your denture

Unless we tell you otherwise, remove your denture for sleeping or for at least 6 to 8 hours a day. Store your denture in water or a soaking solution whenever it is out of your mouth, so it does not dry out.

When to call us

Call us right away if your denture breaks, cracks, chips, or if a tooth becomes loose, so we can properly repair it. Also call us if your bite feels uneven on your dentures become loose, you have sores, irritation, swelling, or discomfort or if you have any questions or concerns.

Homecare Resin 

Fillings Homecare recommendations

  • Now that we’ve placed your resin filling, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure its success.
  • Floss normally
  • Use desensitizing toothpaste
  • Rinse with warm salt water
  • Wait until numbers has worn off completely

Chewing and eating

If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely.

Brushing and flossing

Brush and floss normally.

If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, use a desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity persists beyond a few days, call us.

Discomfort

To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.

When to call us

Call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days, or if you have any questions or concerns.

Homecare Perio 

Surgery Surgery aftercare recommendations

Now that you have had surgery on your gums, it is important to make sure you are as comfortable as possible to maximize the chance for success.

  • Relax and avoid all strenuous activities for the first 24 hours following surgery.
  • If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, do not eat anything for 2 hours after surgery. When you do feel comfortable enough to eat, but you still have numbness, be careful not to bite your cheeks or tongue.
  • For the first week, restrict your diet to soft foods, such as yogurt, scrambled eggs, and soup, until you can comfortably chew. Chew on the side of your mouth opposite the surgery site.
  • Avoid alcoholic drinks and hot or spicy foods for at least a week after surgery.
  • To control discomfort, take pain medication before the anesthetic has worn off, or as recommended. It is normal to have some discomfort for several days after surgery. Generally, do not take pain medication on an empty stomach, or you may experience nausea. Make sure you follow the directions.
    • Use an ice pack
    • Use a gauze pad
    • Avoid alcohol
    • It is important to rest
  • For the first 6 hours after surgery, apply an ice pack 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, to decrease pain and swelling.
  • After 24 hours, reduce discomfort or swelling by rinsing your mouth very gently with warm salt water 3 times each day. Use about 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water.
  • Some slight bleeding is normal for a day or two following surgery. If bleeding persists, apply firm pressure with a gauze pad, or bite on a clean, moist tea bag for 20 minutes. Call us if this does not control bleeding or if bleeding increases.
  • Clean the treated areas by gently rinsing with warm water or mouthwash. Avoid frequent or vigorous rinsing or brushing until the area has healed.
  • Brush and floss the non-treated area of your mouth as you normally would.
  • If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.
  • Call us if discomfort is not diminishing day-by-day or if swelling increases or continues beyond 3 or 4 days.

Please, call us if you have questions or concerns.

Homecare Permanent Crowns 

Chewing and eating

Now that we have placed a permanent crown, it is important to follow these recommendations to ensure the success of your restoration.

If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.

To protect your crown, avoid chewing ice or other hard objects.

Rinse with warm salt water

Use a desensitizing toothpaste

Call if sensitivity or discomfort persists

Brushing and flossing

Brush and floss normally.

If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity increases or persists beyond a few days, call us.

Medication and discomfort

Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed.

To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It is normal for your gums to be sore for several days.

When to call us

Call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days, or if you have any questions or concerns.

Homecare Root Canal Therapy 

Caring for a temporary restoration

Now that you have had root canal therapy, it is important to follow these recommendation to ensure healing. If we placed a temporary filling or crown on your tooth, avoid chewing for at least one-half hour to allow the restoration to harden.

To keep your temporary restoration in place, avoid eating hard or sticky foods, especially chewing gum. If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.

It is not a problem for a small portion of a temporary filling to wear away or break off, but if the entire filling wears out, or if a temporary crown comes off, call us so that it can be replaced.

Do not chew for 30 minutes Brush normally Take pain medication for discomfort Wait for numbers to wear off completely

Chewing and eating

If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. Your lips, teeth, and tongue may be numb for several hours.

Brushing and flossing

Brush and floss normally.

Medications and discomfort

If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

To control discomfort, take pain medication before the anesthetic has worn off or as recommended. It is normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal appointment, especially when chewing.

To further reduce discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water.

When to call us

Call our office if your bite feels uneven, if you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days, if your temporary filling or crown comes off, or if you have any questions or concerns.

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