Aftercare

Carefully clean around the restoration, brushing and flossing daily. When flossing, take extra care not to loosen the temporary restoration by removing the floss too roughly. You can slowly thread the floss out by one end if necessary to avoid too much pressure on the temporary.

Once your final restoration has been placed avoid chewing on hard, crunchy or sticky foods for 24 hours in order to give time for the cement to fully bond. Mild sensitivity to hot or cold foods is not unusual and should dissipate after a few weeks. If sensitivity lasts more than six weeks please let the office know, although this happens infrequently.

Ongoing care for your restoration includes brushing your teeth after every meal and snack, and flossing at least once a day before bedtime. Rinsing your mouth with water or mouthwash with also help to remove any additional particles that may have been missed during brushing and flossing.

Please call our office if you are in pain or have any questions regarding your treatment.

Sensitivity to cold and heat, as well as any soreness, shouldn’t last more than a few days. Please call our office if you experience pain or discomfort for more than a few days.

1. Your First Few Weeks – New dentures always feel strange when first placed in your mouth. Several days or even a few weeks will be required for you to feel accustomed to them.
2. Sore Spots – Your mouth will most likely develop a few sore spots within the first 24 hours of wearing your dentures. This is to be expected and such sore spots can be easily relieved by your doctor. An initial 24 hour re-adjustment appointment should be made, and another appointment about a week later will usually eliminate any other sore spots
3. Chewing – Your new “bite” may not feel comfortable for a period of days. We will adjust the contacting surfaces of your teeth after 24 hours, and again in about one week after the dentures have “settled” into place.
4. Upper vs. Lower Dentures – Your upper denture will rest comfortably in place with moderate-to­ strong “suction.”  Although your lower denture will have good stability, it is infrequent that “suction” can be expected on a lower denture. We suggest that you avoid denture adhesives unless you have extreme difficulty.

Caring for Your Dentures and Your Mouth

Your dentures can be cleaned easily by using a denture brush and toothpaste. Clean them over a sink full of water to avoid damage if they are dropped. Denture soaking solutions are also useful for your dentures. Brush your gums with a soft-bristled toothbrush once per day to toughen and clean them. You may leave the dentures in or out of your mouth at night, depending on your preference. If they are out of your mouth, ALWAYS leave them soaking in water or mouthwash solution.

Dentures will become brittle if left exposed to air.

The Future

Your jawbones and gum shrink up to 1/32 of an inch per year when your teeth are missing. This is one of the main disadvantages of dentures. Because of this shrinkage, you should plan to have your dentures and oral tissues evaluated by us at least once per year. We will inform you when relining or rebasing of the dentures is necessary. Wearing ill-fitting dentures for too long without refitting can cause severe bone loss and very serious oral disease. Even dentures that “fit” comfortably need to be checked, along with your oral tissue.

For the first 24 hours you may experience some cold and heat sensitivity. Do not eat, drink, chew or consume hot foods or beverages until the numbness has worn off following anesthetic. Avoid vigorous physical exercise as well as foods and are extremely hot or spicy for the first 24 hours. Do not consume alcoholic beverages or smoke for at least 48 hours. Some bleeding following a deep cleaning is normal, but if you experience excessive bleeding please call our office.

You can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen according to the instructions on the label or those provided by your doctor as needed. A warm salt water rinse, approximately one teaspoon in an eight ounce glass of water, three times a day can be helpful. Brush and floss gently following a deep cleaning, resuming normal brushing and flossing when the soreness is gone.

Follow any other instructions provided by our office on your visit. Please take all medications as prescribed.

Thank you for selecting us for your root canal therapy.  Please follow the guidelines below and contact us with any questions.

1. For the next 30 minutes, do not eat or drink anything.  You have a temporary filling that takes about 1/2 hour to harden.  Please do not feel around your tooth with your tongue.
2. If any prescriptions were given, please have them filled promptly.  If no prescriptions were given and you are not allergic, you may use any ibuprofen type of medication such as Motrin or Advil, 3 tablets (600mg) every 6-8 hours as needed for discomfort and alleviation of swelling.  Alternatively, you may use Tylenol, 1000mg every 6-8 hours as needed.  Do not exceed the guidelines printed on the label for any medication.  If you are unable to achieve adequate pain control, please call our office.
3. You may find using an ice pack on the affected area helpful.  Please do not apply ice directly to the skin, have a cloth between the ice and skin at all times.  You may apply the ice for up to 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off for the next 6-8 hours as needed.
4. Once you begin to eat and drink, avoid chewing or biting on the area worked on until your permanent restoration is in place.  The area may be more sensitive due to swelling. The temporary in place is a soft composite that is vulnerable to fracturing (cracking) with hard substances such as peanuts, pretzels, hard candy, ice cubes, etc.  You will need to see a restorative dentist within a month to have a permanent crown placed.  Please contact your restorative dentist to make an appointment at your earliest convenience.  Waiting longer than a month increases the chances that the temporary will fracture and/or decay will develop, in which case, you are at fault and will be responsible for all costs to have it redone.
5. Please keep the area worked on clean by gently brushing the area and flossing regularly.
6. It is rare for a temporary filling to fall out although it may divot while in use.  If the temporary falls out please contact your general dentist as soon as possible.  If your temporary falls out after office hours you may purchase some temporary filling material from a pharmacy and follow the included instructions.
7. Some discomfort is normal for 2 to 4 days following the treatment.  In some cases the tooth and surrounding tissue may be sore for a few weeks following the treatment.
8. Normal brushing and flossing are okay, unless otherwise specified by your doctor. Follow any other instructions provided by the office on your visit. Please take all medications as prescribed

THIS SECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

While flare-ups are rare, they occur in about 5% of cases and cause significant pain.  They occur with teeth that are extremely irritated and/or infected or with teeth that have a history of prior treatment.  These sometimes occur randomly, even on patients that have had root canals done in the past without problems.  If you have a flare-up you may experience moderate to severe pain, swelling, throbbing or general discomfort; please contact our office.  You may be prescribed additional medication such as antibiotics and/or you may be asked to come to the office for further treatment.  Should you experience any of these symptoms, please contact the office, even after hours.

1. Bite on gauze given to you for 15-30 minutes. If bleeding continues, bite on fresh gauze for 30 minutes to an hour. Repeat this until the bleeding has stopped. DO NOT spit. All blood from the extraction site will be absorbed by the gauze.
2. DO NOT drink through a straw for 24 hours.
3. DO NOT smoke or use tobacco products for 3-5 days.
4. DO NOT rinse or wash the mouth today. Tomorrow, rinse with a solution consisting of one teaspoon of salt dissolved in a glass of warm water.
5. DO NOT miss a meal. You may eat or drink after the bleeding has stopped. Start with soft foods as tolerated. Try to eat on the opposite side of the extracted area.
6. Swelling is not uncommon and need not cause alarm. Should swelling occur, apply an ice pack over the affected area for 30 minutes, then off for 30 minutes. Twenty-four hours following the extraction, a hot pack rather than ice should be applied for 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off.
7. Mild pain may be experienced after the anesthesia wears off. You may take Ibuprofen 600 mg every 4-6 hours as necessary (not to exceed the recommended dosage) or take what you would normally take for pain.
8. Please call the office if bleeding, pain, or swelling becomes excessive.

Invisalign® Instructions

Do

• You should wear your aligners 21-22 hours a day. Keep aligners in except when flossing, brushing, eating. It’s also best to remove the aligners when drinking warm beverages such as coffee or tea.
• Use your fingers to put your aligners place. First place the aligners over your front teeth, and then use your fingers to push the aligner down gently over your molars. When aligners are correctly inserted, they will fit all the way down on the teeth, with no space between the top of the aligners and the top of the teeth. Aligners will fit tightly at first but should fit well at the end of the two week period.
• Remove the aligner by pulling it off both sides of your back teeth simultaneously then lifting it off of your front teeth.
• Place your aligners in the case we provided any time they are not being worn.
• Clean aligners with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
• Wear each set of aligners for two weeks unless our office directs you to vary from this schedule.
• Wear aligners in the correct numerical order. (Each aligner is labeled by number and with a U or an L to designate upper or lower.)
• Keep all of your old aligners and bring them to your orthodontic appointments.

Do Not

• Do not place your aligners in or on a napkin or tissue. Many aligners have accidentally been thrown out this way!
• Do not use your teeth to “bite” your aligners into place.
• If you have pets, don’t place your aligners anywhere that your pets can reach them. Pets are attracted to saliva and would enjoy chewing on your Invisalign® trays!
• Do not use Denture cleaner, alcohol, or bleach to clean your aligners.
• Do not use boiling water or warm water on your aligners.
• Do not chew gum with your aligners in.
• It would be best not to smoke while wearing aligners. The smoke can stain the aligners as well as your teeth.

Just in Case

If you lose the tab attached to your tooth that helps the aligner snap on, please call our office right away so that we can determine if you need to come in before your next scheduled appointment.

If you lose one of your aligner trays, please wear the next tray if you have it. If you do not have the next tray, please wear the previous tray. It is extremely important to use a tray to keep teeth from shifting. Call our office to let us know which tray was lost so that we can determine if a replacement tray is needed. There will be a fee if replacement trays are required.

1. Floss and brush your teeth before bleaching your teeth
2. Twist off the plastic cap from the syringe
3. Place a “teardrop” amount of gel in each tooth compartment in the tray
4. Place the tray with the gel inside your mouth
5. Wear the bleaching-tray according to you bleaching concentration:
   • 15% concentrate – overnight or 4-6 hours for 2 weeks
   • 20% concentrate – 2-4 hours a day for 2 weeks
   • 35% concentrate – 30 minutes a day for 2 weeks\
6. Remove and rinse the bleaching trays with water after bleaching session. Hot water may damage the trays
7. Place he trays in the storage case and store it in cool, dry place
8. Rinse and brush excess gel from the teeth
9. Keep whitening solution in the refrigerator

If you develop teeth sensitivity, we recommend you brush with Sensodyne® toothpaste. If your gum start to blanch, “or turns white,” we recommend you rinse with water and stop bleaching for about one to two days. The symptoms will usually dissipate in a couple of days.

Please contact us if you wish to use this product for more than 2 weeks.

Feel free to call the office if you have any questions.

For the first 24 hours you may experience some cold and heat sensitivity. Do not eat, drink, chew or consume foods and beverages that are extremely hot or spicy until the numbness has worn off following the anesthetic. Avoid vigorous physical exercise for the first 24 hours and do not consume alcoholic beverages or smoke for at least 48 hours. Do not brush, rinse or spit. Do not use a straw for drinking. During the first few days after surgery a diet of liquids and soft foods such as soups, yogurt, juice and smoothies are recommended. If you experience excessive bleeding or discomfort after 48-72 hours, please call our office immediately.

Follow any other instructions provided by the office on your visit. Please take all medications as prescribed including your prescribed antibiotics to help prevent infection.