Post Operative Instructions
Information Following Crown or Bridge Treatment
- Following the first appointment for a crown or bridge
procedure, a temporary is usually placed on the tooth or
teeth involved. This will protect them while the custom
restoration is being done.
- Temporary crowns are of a universal size and shade that
serve as a cosmetic function for front teeth. Your final
restoration will be shaped and shaded to match your other
teeth in both color and function.
- The use of temporary cement is for easy removal on your
next appointment. If your temporary comes off between
appointments, slip it back on and call us for an
appointment.
- Most crowns fit below the gum line. Therefore, you may
experience some discomfort for a few days due to the
irritation of that area during the procedures. Sensitivity
to cold or pressure is also possible.
- After the final cementation of your fixed restoration,
it may take a few days to get used to the new crown or
bridge. If you feel the bite is not correctly balanced, be
sure to call for an appointment for a simple adjustment.
- Proper brushing and flossing is recommended to help you
retain your final restoration. The only area that a crowned
tooth can decay is at the edge of the crown at the gum line.
Information Following Endodontic (Root Canal)
Treatment
- Endodontic treatment can take 1, 2 or 3 appointments
depending on each case. It is possible to experience any
of the following symptoms after any one of these
appointments: sensitivity to hot and/or cold;
sensitivity to pressure; possible swelling.
- It is difficult to predict which symptoms, if any,
you may experience and to what extent. In complicated
cases, pain medication may be necessary.
- If you experience swelling, call our office; it may
be necessary to prescribe an antibiotic for you.
- A temporary filling may be used to seal the tooth
between visits.
- Be gentle on the tooth while eating until the first
restoration is placed.
- During endodontic treatment the nerve, blood and
nutrient supply to the tooth is removed. This will cause
the tooth to become brittle and prone to fracturing
which can result in the need to extract the tooth. In
many case a full coverage crown restoration (cap) may be
recommended to prevent this from happening.
Information Following Amalgam (Silver) OR
Composite (White) Restorations (Fillings)
- Do not bite together hard or eat on fresh
amalgam fillings for 2 to 3 hours. Composite
fillings set up hard right away.
- Children should be observed until the anesthetic
wears off. Due to the strange feeling of the
anesthetic, many children will chew the inside of
their lips, cheeks or tongue which can cause serious
damage.
- Sensitivity, especially to cold, is common for a
few days following a dental restoration. Usually,
the deeper the cavity, the more sensitive the tooth
will be.
- Sensitivity is usually most noticeable the first
12 to 24 hours after the anesthetic wears off.
- The gum tissue could have been irritated during
the procedure and may be sore for a few days
together with the anesthetic injection site.
- The finished restoration may be contoured
slightly different and have a different texture than
the original tooth. Your tongue usually magnifies
this small difference, but you will become
accustomed to this in a few days.
Information Following a Tooth Extraction
DO
- After an extraction, a wet gauze pad is
placed over the extraction site to prevent
excessive bleeding and to promote the healing of
a blood clot. Keep pressure on it for 30-45
minutes.
- Some bleeding may continue after you remove
the gauze pad. If so, replace it with a new one.
Fold a piece of clean gauze into a pad thick
enough to bite on. Dampen the pad and place it
directly on the extraction site.
- If heavy bleeding persists after changing
the pad, call our office. However, you can
expect your saliva to be lightly tinged with
blood up to 24 hours after extraction.
- Following an extraction, some swelling and
skin bruising may occur. A cold moist cloth or
an ice bag applied to the cheek will keep it to
a minimum.
- Call our office if you have prolonged or
severe pain, swelling, bleeding or fever.
- Take any medication we prescribed only as
directed.
- Wait until the bleeding has subsided before
you eat or drink. This usually takes 30 to 45
minutes after the extraction. After that, drink
lots of liquids and eat soft, nutritious foods.
- When you are comfortable enough to eat solid
foods, try to chew on the side opposite the
extraction site. If you are troubled with any
nausea, call our office for advice.
- Start brushing your teeth the day after the
extraction or when we recommend that you do so.
However, avoid brushing directly on the
extraction site.
DON'T
- Do not smoke for the first 24 hours.
- Try not to accidentally bite the inside
of your mouth while it is still numb from
the anesthesia that was used for the
extraction. The numbness should subside
within a few hours. Until then, you'll want
to be careful not to bite your cheek, lip,
or tongue.
- Avoid activities that involve a sucking
action.
- These above-mentioned activities that
create suction in the mouth, which could
disturb the clot that forms in the tooth
socket. The clot is an important part of the
normal healing process. If it is dislodged,
healing might be delayed.
- Do not increase the recommended dosage
of medication. If you have prolonged or
severe pain, call out office. We will give
you exact instruction on how to care for
your problem.
- Do not rinse mouth vigorously.
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