EXTRACTIONS - POST OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
SINGLE / MULTIPLE / WISDOM TOOTH / IMPACTED TOOTH
Following any oral surgical procedures, particularly the removal of impacted lower wisdom teeth, difficult or multiple extractions, several undesirable effects may occur:
Please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
SINGLE / MULTIPLE / WISDOM TOOTH / IMPACTED TOOTH
- Apply cold compresses or ice packs to outside of face in the area of surgery-15 minutes on, 15 minutes off-for 4-6 hours. Do not use after 36 hours. It is not unusual to have post-operative swelling. The swelling that is normally expected is usually proportional to the surgery involved. However, some swelling should be expected, if a difficult extraction has been performed. If it does occur, it will reach its maximum in 48-72 hours, and then it will start to decrease.
- The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for an hour. After this time, the gauze pad should be removed and discarded.
- Take prescribed antibiotics, if any, as directed until all medication is consumed. Take pain relievers as directed but only as often as is necessary to manage the discomfort. Ideally, pain medication should be taken BEFORE numbness wears off. For light discomfort or moderate pain one or two 200 mg tablets of Ibuprofen (Nurofen, Rupan, Advil, Motrin) should be taken every three to four hours. Do not exceed 2400 mg per 24 hours. In addition you may use a very effective analgesic and antipyretic agent, Acetaminophen (Tylenol Extra Strength, Paracetamol), one or two every six hours. Some medications may cause an upset stomach. Taking these with food will lessen this side-effect.
- Do not rinse your mouth for the first 18-24 hours. Begin the use of the prescribed rinse (special mouthwash - chlorhexidine gluconate 0,12% - or warm salt-water) after the first 24 hours and rinse gently after meals and between 6-8 times a day for at least one week.
- Fluids should be consumed as soon as possible. It is recommended that you drink 6-8 glasses of water over the remainder of the day following surgery. Avoid using a straw as it may cause a suction, which may loosen clotting, causing bleeding.
- Do not brush, floss, rinse and spit the day of extraction, as it can dislodge the clot that has formed in the extraction site.
- For the first 24 hours, eat soft, cool foods that can be easily chewed or swallowed. Avoid eating or drinking very hot and very cold foods or liquids (coffee, soup, tea). Avoid sharp, spicy, acidic or chewy foods for several days. Maintain a balanced diet.
- Do not raise your lip or pull on the cheek to look at the extraction site. This might tear the sutures(stitches).
- A little bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal after the surgery. If worried, place a wet teabag firmly against the area for 30 minutes or longer if necessary. If bleeding continues, please call the office.
- Avoid brushing and flossing for the first two days in the surgical area. After 2 days, brush and floss very delicately. Begin to brush the NON-SURGICAL areas the day following surgery. Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing.
- Do not smoke, spit, blow your nose, or take any alcoholic beverages for the first 24 hours. These actions may delay healing, increase discomfort, encourage bleeding and cause complications.
- Rest quietly with your head elevated for the remainder of the day following surgery. Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. Always get up slowing from a reclining position to prevent dizziness. To encourage rapid healing, please REST!
Following any oral surgical procedures, particularly the removal of impacted lower wisdom teeth, difficult or multiple extractions, several undesirable effects may occur:
- You may have pain which becomes worse after a few days and does not respond to the medication you are taking. This may indicate an inflammation of the bone socket. It is necessary an appointment for a sedative dressing. Please call the office.
- Other teeth on the same side may ache temporarily.
- You may have a sore throat or earache for a few days. Pain when swallowing is not uncommon. This will subside in two or three days. If the medication you are taking does not make you comfortable, call the office.
- Stiffness (trismus) of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few days following surgery. This is a normal post-operative event that will resolve in time.
- A slight elevation of temperature immediately following surgery is not uncommon. If the temperature persists, please notify the office. Acetaminophen (Tylenol Extra Strength, Paracetamol) should be taken to reduce the fever.
- A numbness of the lower lip may occur on the same side as the surgery. This should cause you no alarm since it will gradually disappear in time.
- During healing you may feel bony edges or small sharp bone fragments in the mouth with your tongue. These are not roots; they are bony walls, which supported the tooth. They usually smooth out spontaneously. If not, they can be removed.
- There may be a "hole" in your gum after extraction. This will fill in time with new tissue. Rinse your mouth after meals to keep it clean.
- Discoloration of the skin follows swelling. The development of black, blue, green or yellow discoloration is due to blood spreading beneath the tissues. This is a normal postoperative occurrence, which may occur two or three days post-operatively. Moist heat applied to the area may speed up the removal of the discoloration.
- If the corners of your mouth are stretched, they may dry out and crack. Your lips should be kept moist with an ointment such as Vaseline.
- Your case is individual. No two pacients are alike. Do not accept well-intended advice from friends. Call the office and discuss your problem with your doctor, the person best able to effectively help you.
- The sutures will be removed approximately one week after surgery. Don't worry if they become dislodged. The removal of sutures requires no anesthesia or needles. It takes only one minute or so, and there is no discomfort associated with this procedure.
Please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
PERIODONTAL SURGERY - POST OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions following Periodontal Surgery, Free Gingival Graft,
Connective Tissue Graft, Block Graft
Please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
Instructions following Periodontal Surgery, Free Gingival Graft,
Connective Tissue Graft, Block Graft
- Apply cold compresses to outside of face in the area of surgery-15 minutes on, 15 minutes off-for 4-6 hours. Do not use after 36 hours. It is not unusual to have post-operative swelling. Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery.Some swelling should be expected. If it does occur, it will reach its maximum in 48-72 hours, and then it will start to decrease.
- Take prescribed antibiotics as directed until all medication is consumed. Take pain relievers as directed but only as often as is necessary to manage the discomfort. Ideally, pain medication should be taken BEFORE numbness wears off. For light discomfort or moderate pain one or two 200 mg tablets of Ibuprofen (Nurofen, Rupan, Advil, Motrin) should be taken every three to four hours. Do not exceed 2400 mg per 24 hours. In addition you may use a very effective analgesic and antipyretic agent, Acetaminophen (Tylenol Extra Strength, Paracetamol), one or two every six hours. Some medications may cause an upset stomach. Taking these with food will lessen this side-effect.
- Do not rinse your mouth for the first 18-24 hours. Begin the use of the prescribed rinse (special mouthwash - chlorhexidine gluconate 0,12% - or warm salt-water) after the first 24 hours and rinse gently after meals and between 6-8 times a day for at least one week.
- A periodontal dressing has been placed around your teeth. It is comparable to the surgical dressing used in other types of operations. It serves a very useful purpose and should not be disturbed. The periodontal dressing will become semi-rigid within a few hours. It can then withstand some of the forces of chewing without breaking. The dressing should be permitted to remain in place as long as possible. Small particles may chip off during the week. Should a sizable portion become loose or fall off, please call the office. While the dressing is in place, you may notice a slight pain or soreness in the cheek or inside of the mouth. The edge of the dressing may be irritating the tissue. Please call the office if the soreness persists. It can be easily remedied.
- Fluids should be consumed as soon as possible. It is recommended that you drink 6-8 glasses of water over the remainder of the day following surgery. Avoid using a straw as it may cause a suction, which may loosen clotting, causing bleeding.
- For the first 24 hours, eat soft, cool foods that can be easily chewed or swallowed. Avoid eating or drinking hot or very cold foods or liquids (coffee, soup, tea). Avoid sharp, spicy, acidic or chewy foods for several days. Maintain a balanced diet.
- Do not raise your lip or pull on the cheek to look at the surgical site. This might tear the sutures(stitches). Do not apply pressure with your tongue or fingers to the grafted area, as the material is movable during the initial healing. Do not touch surgical sites for the first week; you could dislodge the healing tissue and compromise the success of the graft.
- The "look" of your graft will change over the next few weeks. It first turns white and then can turn pink. This is normal healing of the graft.
- A little bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal after the surgery. If worried, place a wet teabag firmly against the area for 30 minutes or longer if necessary. If bleeding continues, please call the office.
- Avoid brushing and flossing for the first six days in the surgical area. After 6 days, brush and floss very delicately. Begin to brush the NON-SURGICAL areas the day following surgery. Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing.
- Do not spit, expectorate, or take any alcoholic beverages for the first 24 hours. These actions may delay healing, increase discomfort, encourage bleeding and cause complications. Smoking must be stopped. Anyways, do not smoke for at least two weeks after surgery, if at all. Smoking dramatically increases the risk of graft failure.
- Rest quietly with your head elevated for the remainder of the day following surgery. Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. Always get up slowing from a reclining position to prevent dizziness. To encourage rapid healing, please REST!
Please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
ROOT CANAL THERAPY - POST OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
Please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
- Expect your tooth to be sore to touch or pressure following treatment. These symptoms usually begin to subside after a couple of days / 1 week but can last a longer period. Anti-inflammatory medications will help to diminish and shorten these symptoms.
- Take prescribed anti-inflammatory medication as directed until all medication is consumed. Take pain relievers as directed but only as often as is necessary to manage the discomfort. Ideally, pain medication should be taken BEFORE numbness wears off. For the first 72 hours one or two 200 mg tablets of Ibuprofen (Nurofen, Rupan, Advil, Motrin) should be taken every four to six hours. In addition you may use a very effective analgesic and antipyretic agent, Acetaminophen (Tylenol Extra Strength, Paracetamol), one or two every six hours. Some medications may cause an upset stomach. Taking these with food will lessen this side-effect.
- Do not exceed the medication intake if the tooth becomes normal after 3 days. It happens on a regular basis. Do not interrupt medication sooner, no matter the tooth seems to be painless. It is strongly recommended to take the medicine even in the absence of symptoms for the initial 3 days following treatment.
- Eat and drink as soon as the numbness wears off. There are no dietary restraints, however, do not bite or chew excessively on your endodontically treated tooth until a final permanent restoration has been made.
- Brush and clean your teeth as usual.
- Your tooth currently has a relatively strong temporary restoration. Please return to the dental office to have a permanent restoration placed as soon as possible. We recommend that almost all back teeth receive full crown coverage. A delay in permanently restoring your tooth increases the chance of fractures and/or reinfection of the root canal due to leakage. This can result in the need for retreatment, surgery or extraction.
- X-rays taken prior to final restoration appointment will permit us to review the healing process following your treatment. A tooth that has had appropriate endodontic treatment followed by a proper restoration can last as long as your other natural teeth. Therefore, it is important that endodontically treated teeth be re-examined regularly, since a small percentage of these do not heal completely.
- Should pain become severe or swelling should occur inside or outside your mouth, please contact our office. If you should experience swelling, fever or discomfort which is not alleviated by medication, please contact our office.
Please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
PROSTHETICS - INSTRUCTIONS Temporary crownsOccasionally a temporary crown may come off. Call us if this happens and bring the temporary crown with you so we can re-cement it. It is very important for the temporary to stay in place, as it will prevent other teeth from moving and compromising the fit of your final restoration. To keep your temporary in place, avoid eating sticky foods (gum), hard foods, and if possible, chew on the opposite side of your mouth. It is important to brush normally, but floss carefully and don't pull up on the floss which may dislodge the temporary, but pull the floss out from the side of the temporary crown.
Crowns and bridgesYour new crowns and bridges will be temporary cemented for six months. After this period you should make an appointment for a prosthetic check and permanent cementation. We will evaluate your bite, gum tissue, dental hygiene and perform a routine cleaning. If accidentally, a crown or bridge comes off or becomes loose, please call the office immediately for re-cementation. Do not remove the crown or bridge out of your mouth since such action may compromise the fit.
DenturesYour dentures are made very precisely just to you, and they have to be protected from harm. You should clean them daily using a toothbrush and non abrasive soap or toothpaste. Your mouth should be rinsed often with any of the commercial mouth washes. We urge you to brush your gums, tongue and palate with a soft brush at least once a day, to remove any debris and prevent inflammation (any teeth remaining in your mouth, if you have partial dentures, should be brushed and flossed daily). You should expect to have some discomfort after receiving your new dentures. We expect it and will schedule you for a twenty-four hour and a one week observation. Learn to eat with your new dentures by eating semisolid foods for a few days. Take small bites of food and chew them slowly. Don't expect to eat solid foods without discomfort for some time. Your mouth tissues are constantly changing, but your denture are not. This is why we urge you to come back for checkups once every six months. In a very few cases, for a short period of time, adhesives may help keep new dentures in place.
Crowns and bridgesYour new crowns and bridges will be temporary cemented for six months. After this period you should make an appointment for a prosthetic check and permanent cementation. We will evaluate your bite, gum tissue, dental hygiene and perform a routine cleaning. If accidentally, a crown or bridge comes off or becomes loose, please call the office immediately for re-cementation. Do not remove the crown or bridge out of your mouth since such action may compromise the fit.
DenturesYour dentures are made very precisely just to you, and they have to be protected from harm. You should clean them daily using a toothbrush and non abrasive soap or toothpaste. Your mouth should be rinsed often with any of the commercial mouth washes. We urge you to brush your gums, tongue and palate with a soft brush at least once a day, to remove any debris and prevent inflammation (any teeth remaining in your mouth, if you have partial dentures, should be brushed and flossed daily). You should expect to have some discomfort after receiving your new dentures. We expect it and will schedule you for a twenty-four hour and a one week observation. Learn to eat with your new dentures by eating semisolid foods for a few days. Take small bites of food and chew them slowly. Don't expect to eat solid foods without discomfort for some time. Your mouth tissues are constantly changing, but your denture are not. This is why we urge you to come back for checkups once every six months. In a very few cases, for a short period of time, adhesives may help keep new dentures in place.