After the placement of a crown or bridge, please consider the following information and follow all relevant instructions in order to expedite your healing process and avoid any unnecessary discomfort or inconvenience.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity, especially to cold, is common for a time following treatment. For the first few days avoid extremely hot or cold foods and beverages. It is normal to have some discomfort in the gums around the tooth after the anesthesia wears off due to the procedure.

If your gums are tender, rinse with warm salt water, dissolving ½ teaspoon of salt in an 8 oz. glass of warm water. An analgesic such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen (Advil) will help to increase your comfort.

Temporary Crown or Bridge Instructions

Having a crown or bridge made for you will take multiple appointments. A temporary crown is a plastic crown or bridge that is made the day of the crown preparation and is placed on the tooth or teeth while the final restoration is being made. The temporary serves a very important purpose. It protects the exposed tooth so it is less sensitive, prevents food and bacteria from collecting on the prepared tooth or teeth, and prevents the tooth or teeth from shifting or moving, which can make seating of the final restoration more difficult. If your bite feels unbalanced or the temporary crown feels high once your tooth wakes up from the anesthetic, please be sure to call our office for an appointment for a simple adjustment.

The temporary is placed with very lightweight cement that is designed to come off easily so avoid chewing sticky foods or crunchy foods that could dislodge or break the temporary crown.

Use your toothbrush to clean the temporary as you normally do your other teeth. However, when flossing, it is best to pull the floss through the contact rather than lift up on the temporary so you don’t accidentally loosen the temporary. If your temporary comes off between appointments, call our office so that we can recement it for you.

Final Crown or Bridge

After the final cementation of your restoration, it may take a few days to get used to the new crown or bridge. If your bite feels unbalanced, please be sure to call our office for an appointment for a simple adjustment.

Home Care

Refrain from eating until the anesthesia has worn off to prevent possible injury to your lips and cheeks. Although crowns and bridges are often the most durable of all restorations, the underlying tooth is still vulnerable to decay, especially at the interface between the tooth and crown. It is important to resume regular brushing and flossing immediately. Daily home care and decreasing your intake of sugar-containing foods and drinks will increase the longevity of your new restoration.

It is our genuine wish that your new crown or bridge improves your oral health and increases your sense of well-being overall!

If you have any questions that aren’t addressed here, or if you need any additional help or guidance, please give our office a call at 915-308-0663.

After a tooth extraction, the next step is for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. These instructions will guide you through this process. Sometimes the effects of an extraction are minimal; therefore not all of these instructions may apply. However, when in doubt follow these instructions or call our office (915-308-0663) for clarification.

DAY OF SURGERY:

First Hour: Bite down firmly on the gauze pads, making sure they remain in place by maintaining moderate pressure. You may gently remove the gauze after 15-20 minutes to check for active bleeding. If bleeding persists, replace gauze with a new set of gauze folded twice and moistened with water; apply in the extraction area and bite down firmly. If needed, repeat these steps every 15-20 minutes until bleeding has stopped. Do not eat, drink, or sleep with gauze in your mouth.

After the blood clot forms, it is important not to disturb or dislodge the clot, especially for the first 24 hours. Reduce exercise for this period of time.

NEVER SPIT, USE A STRAW, SMOKE, USE SMOKELESS TOBACCO, OR CONSUME CARBONATED DRINKS DURING THE FIRST 48-72 HOURS POST-EXTRACTION.

SWELLING: To reduce swelling, place the ice pack provided in your post-op care baggie against the cheek adjacent to the affected area. Apply alternatingly, 20 minutes on then 20 minutes off. This is most effective if performed during the first 12 hours post extraction. The swelling should subside after 48-72 hours.

PAIN: To reduce pain, you may use over-the-counter pain medication as needed. Please follow the instructions associated with your pain medication. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone. Please take only as directed, and never drive or operate machinery if taking narcotic medications.

DIET: Drink plenty of fluids and eat soft (easy-to-chew) foods on the side of the mouth opposite the extraction site. Avoid alcoholic beverages and hot or spicy foods. Over the next several days, you may gradually progress to more solid foods. You may resume normal eating as soon as you are fully comfortable.

BRUSHING: You may brush your teeth gently, being careful to avoid the extraction site. Do not swish the water around your mouth. Instead, gently tilt your head from side to side, lean over the sink, and let the water fall out by itself (do not forcefully spit).

SUTURES: Sutures (aka stiches) may have been placed to help control bleeding and promote healing. These sutures will dissolve by themselves and do not need to be removed, or they will be removed at your follow-up visit. Feel free to ask for clarification on which will be the case for you.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SECOND & THIRD DAYS:

RINSING: After 24 hours, you may gently rinse your mouth with salt water three times a day (one teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water; gently rinse but do not spit).

Rinsing after meals will help prevent food from accumulating in the extraction site. If you were provided with a medicated mouth rinse in your post-op care baggie, please use it as directed. Salt water in addition to the prescription mouth rinse is optional. If you were provided with an irrigating syringe, use extra gently after 48 hours to irrigate the extraction site (use caution, as overly aggressive rinsing can displace the blood clot).

HEALING: The first two days after surgery are generally the most uncomfortable, and there is usually some swelling. On the third day, you should be more comfortable and, although still swollen, can usually begin a more substantial diet. The remainder of the post-operative course should be gradual, steady improvement. The appearance of the surgical site may vary during the healing process. This is completely normal, so do not be alarmed!

It is our sincere desire that your recovery be as smooth and pleasant as possible. Please contact our office immediately if you have heavy uncontrolled bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling after two to three days, or a reaction to the medications prescribed.

Thank you so much for choosing to be our patient! The whole team here at Prickly Pear Dental Care wishes you the very best with your recovery, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

After your scaling and root planning, please adhere to the following instructions in order to expedite your healing process and avoid any unnecessary discomfort or inconvenience:

• If possible, do not eat until the anesthetic has worn off. This will help to avoid accidentally biting and potentially injuring your lips, cheeks, or tongue.

• For the first 24 hours after scaling and root planning, a soft diet is recommended. It is normal for the teeth and gums to feel sensitive or sore following this procedure, so please eat only what is comfortable to you and if needed, chew on the other side of your mouth for the first 24 hours. Also, we strongly suggest avoiding spicy, acidic or hot (temperature) foods, as these types of food can trigger discomfort.

• Be careful when brushing or flossing, but do maintain good oral hygiene. It is normal for the teeth that have been worked on and surrounding gum tissue to be sore for the first 24-48 hours after scaling and root planning. Therefore, gentle but thorough brushing and flossing of that area is strongly recommended. If we have recommended the use of other oral hygiene aids such as a rubber tip stimulator, proxybrush, soft picks, etc., please utilize those as instructed. Slight bleeding may occur while brushing for the first 24-48 hours; this is normal and no cause for alarm.

• Your teeth may feel sensitive, but don’t worry; this is normal! This feeling should subside over the course of the next few days. Using desensitizing toothpaste (such as Sensodyne) can help alleviate your teeth sensitivity. If the pain becomes severe and you are unable to bite on the teeth after 3-4 days, or you develop significant swelling, please call our office at 915-308-0663 as you may need further evaluation.

• You can rinse with warm salt water to help reduce gum-tissue soreness. It is normal for your gum tissue around the treated area to be slightly swollen or sore following this procedure. Use 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of water and gently rinse; repeat this action 3-4 times per day for the first 1-3 days as needed. If you were provided with a medicated mouth rinse in our clinic, please use it as directed.

• Avoid smoking for at least the first 48 hours after your treatment. Smoking significantly delays the gum-tissue healing process, and it can substantially reduce the success of the treatment.

• Take all medication as instructed by the doctor. To reduce pain or soreness, you may use over-the-counter medication as needed. Please follow all instructions included with your medication. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, regardless of whether or not you’re feeling better.

• Please be sure to keep your follow-up appointments. It is vitally important to come in for your routine cleaning appointments at the appropriate times as instructed by the office (typically in three-to-four-month intervals). Additionally, the office may recommend that you return for further evaluation or gum treatment, or recommend more frequent intervals for your routine care. This is all done in order to create a successful plan to maintain the health of your gums and reduce the damaging effects of periodontal disease (gum disease). Delaying or cancelling these appointments could contribute to a rapid deterioration of your gum health, which can then result in pain and/or loss of teeth.

It is our goal and our genuine desire that your healing process be as smooth and pleasant as possible! Please contact our office at 915-308-0663 if you experience significant pain or swelling, moderate pain and swelling that does not dissipate, if after two full days you are still unable to bite down without sharp pain, or if you experience an allergic reaction to any medication that you’ve been prescribed. We’re also always here to speak to you to address any other concerns that you might have regarding the healing process.