Post Op Instructions in Aurora, CO

Crowns

1. After your first appointment for crown treatment, a temporary crown is usually placed on the tooth or teeth involved. The temporary crown protects the site while the custom crown is being produced. Temporary cement is used so that the crown can be easily removed at your next appointment.

2. If your temporary crown comes off before your next appointment, place the temporary back on your tooth and call our office.

3. With your temporary crown and with your permanent crown, you may experience some discomfort due to irritation of the area during the treatment procedures. You may also experience sensitivity to cold or pressures.

4. Your new permanent crown will be shaped and shaded especially to your teeth in color and fit. The temporary crown is made to serve you temporarily, so its color and fit are not custom-matched to your teeth.

5. After your new permanent crown is in place you may need a few days to adjust to it. If you feel the bite is not correctly balanced, please call for an appointment and we can adjust it. 6. Care for your new crown with proper brushing and flossing. It is especially important to keep the edge of the crown clean at the gum line.

Rootcanal

Root canal therapy often takes two or more appointments to complete. A temporary filling or crown is placed to protect the tooth between appointments. After each appointment when anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid any chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.

Between appointments it is common (and not a problem) for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear away or break off. If the entire filling falls out, or if a temporary crown comes off, call us so that it can be replaced. It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal appointment, especially when chewing. To control discomfort, take pain medication as recommended. To further reduce pain and swelling, rinse three times a day with warm salt water (a tsp. of salt in a cup of warm water, rinse-swish-spit).

If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them as prescribed, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone. To protect the tooth and help keep your temporary in place, avoid eating sticky foods (especially gum), hard foods, and if possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth. It’s important to continue to brush and floss normally.

Usually, the last step after root canal treatment is the placement of a crown on the tooth. A crown covers and protects the tooth from breaking in the future. If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent swelling or pain, or you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office.

Antibiotic: – If an antibiotic has been prescribed, start taking it the first day (unless directed otherwise) and use to completion. You can reduce stomach upset by taking it with food and or plenty of liquid.

Ibuprofen: — If we prescribed ibuprofen, start taking it the day of the bone graft surgery and continue for 2 days. After that you can still take it as needed for pain. Do not use ibuprofen for more than one week.

Pain pills: — Take one pain pill as soon as you can after surgery. It will usually work better if taken before the numbness wears off. After that, take only as needed. Take any narcotic pain pills with food and/or plenty of liquid. Do not drive after taking any narcotic pain pill and do not take them with sleeping pills or alcohol.

Ice bag: — Use a cold pack (a plastic bag of frozen peas works well) to the face over the area where the procedure was done for 10 minutes at a time, twice an hour, for the first 6 hours. You can periodically use an ice bag the rest of the day of surgery and the next day. If you use the ice bag as directed, you should have less swelling than you would have otherwise. Less swelling = less pain. Do not use hot packs or a hot water bottle.

Sleep somewhat inclined: – For the first 2 nights after the procedure, sleep in a recliner chair or with your head propped up with some pillows. A recliner is better. If you keep your head above your heart level for the first 2 days, it will significantly cut down on post-op swelling. Less swelling = less pain.

Swelling: – Most people get some swelling and, if they do, it usually happens about 48-72 hours after the surgery. Using the ice bag and sleeping inclined as directed above will help a great deal with keeping it to a minimum.

Oral hygiene: – Do not use a water-pik or an electric toothbrush around the surgical area for 6 weeks after the procedure. After that, it should be OK. Do not floss around the tooth/teeth worked on for 1 week, so you don’t accidentally take out any of the stitches. After 4 weeks, there should be no oral hygiene restrictions, except for water-piks & electric toothbrushes as noted above.

Stitches and “Barrier membrane”: – The stitches and barrier membrane over the extraction site are usually non-dissolvable and will need to be removed about 1 to 4 weeks later, your doctor should have advised you when to return.

Salt-water rinses: — Rinse your mouth out (don’t swish) with warm salt water (1/2- tsp. salt in 8-ounce glass of warm water). Hold this in the mouth for 30 seconds and spit out. Repeat. Do this 4-5 times per day for 7 days. Start day after the procedure.

Exercise: — Avoid strenuous exercise for the first 7 days. Strenuous physical activity may increase postoperative pain or cause post-operative bleeding and swelling. Less activity equals less pain.

Touching the surgical site: — It is important that the surgical site remains untouched during the initial stages of healing. We recommend that you avoid stretching your mouth to look at the site and avoid playing with your tongue on the surgical sites.

Bleeding: — “Pink” saliva is normal for a few days. If you have bleeding, wipe the area clean of any “blood clots” first. It has to be thoroughly cleaned first. Then apply gentle (it doesn’t need to be real hard) pressure to the extraction site for 10 straight minutes with a soaking wet tea bag (black tea works the best), or a soaking wet gauze pad, or a clean washcloth, etc. Be sure it is soaking wet. If it is not, the clot will stick to it and start bleeding again when you pull it away. If it just won’t stop, call.

Food: — Stay on a soft diet, chew away from the extracted tooth/teeth and avoid any foods that would be more likely to get stuck in the extraction site, such as corn, popcorn, nuts, and seeds (fruit like strawberries have seeds). Do this for at least 5 weeks (if we used a non-resorbable barrier we removed, then for 1 week after the barrier is removed). Citric juices, carbonated beverages or acidic foods, like tomatoes, may make it hurt, but won’t damage the graft healing though. For the first 7 days avoid really hot foods or drinks. Consider a nutritional food supplement (Carnation Instant Breakfast drink, Ensure, Slim-Fast, etc.). Ensure makes a product called Glucerna for diabetics. After 5 weeks, there should be no eating restrictions. Don’t use straws for the 1st week. No milkshakes with a straw for 4 weeks.

Smoking: – Don’t. Smokers have a much higher incidence of dry sockets. If you do smoke, keep it 5 cigarettes or less per day and only smoke half the cigarette. No cigars or pipes. Do this for at least 6 weeks.

Aspirin: — Unless you have a special medical reason for taking aspirin (tell us at least a week ahead of time if this is the case), do not take aspirin products for 7 days prior to
thru 7 days after the extraction procedure. Aspirin can cause bleeding.

Implant Placement

FIRST 24 HOURS: After numbness has gone, apply ice as needed. 10 minutes ON and 10 minutes OFF for 3 cycles.

• DO NOT apply heat to the area 
• DO NOT brush or floss
• REST with your head elevated to avoid increased bleeding, discomfort, and swelling
  NO activity that raises your heart rate

AFTER 24 HOURS:

• DO NOT apply ice
• Brush the area and neighboring teeth very gently with a new toothbrush, avoiding the sutures and gum line
• Do NOT floss
• Brush and floss all other areas with your regular electric toothbrush

AFTER 48 HOURS:

• Apply a warm compress as needed
• You may begin to exercise at 50% intensity

UNTIL POST-OP APPOINTMENT:

• Eat only soft foods on the opposite side of the mouth (3 chews or less) | Example: smoothies, scrambled eggs, soups, mashed potatoes, pasta, etc
• DO NOT eat HOT temperature food – room temperature ONLY
• DO NOT pull on the lip – this may loosen the stitches and disrupt the healing tissue
• Continue to brush the area with a toothbrush avoiding the sutures
• Avoid alcohol and do not smoke tobacco or cannabis
• Avoid wearing your denture or flipper as much as possible
• Do not wear denture or flipper if it rubs the tissue. Please visit our office to adjust your appliance if this is the case

AT ANY TIME, if you have questions or concerns, please call our office at 303.755.5768. We would be happy to discuss your individual situation.

Root Planning and Scaling

• Following scaling and root planing, you can expect to notice less redness, less bleeding, and less swelling of your gum tissues. Your teeth may feel smoother, and your mouth will taste and feel better. Your gum health must be maintained with proper home care, as instructed, and regular professional care.
• When anesthesia has been used, your lips, teeth, and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid any chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. It is easy to bite or burn your tongue or lip while numb. It is recommended that you take some ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil, 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours as needed) before the anesthetic completely wears off. This will help with any swelling or pain at the injection sites where the anesthetic was administered.
• It is not unusual for the teeth to be more sensitive to hot or cold temperatures, and/or sweets. This occurs as the gum tissue heals and shrinks in size. Brushing two to three times daily with sensitivity toothpaste or using fluoride rinses may help alleviate this over time. If sensitivity continues or is severe, professional application of a desensitizing agent may be required.
  
• For a few days, a soft diet is recommended.
• Consistent and thorough daily oral hygiene is essential to the proper healing of your gum tissues. Brushing, flossing and rinsing with recommended products are critical. Use Listerine, or if prescribed, Peridex (Chlorhexidine).
• If a localized antibiotic (Arestin) was placed, please follow all additional instructions given to you at your appointment.
• If only one half of the mouth is treated at this visit, please remember to keep all appointments to complete the treatment on the opposite side, and all follow-up appointments thereafter.