Scaling and Root Planing
If we used anesthesia during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely. Wait at least two hours before eating and then select a soft diet the first 48-72 hours, chewing on the opposite side of your mouth. Avoid alcoholic drinks and hot or spicy foods until your gums are healed. Don’t use any tobacco products for at least 72 hours after the procedure because tobacco slows healing. Brush the treated area very lightly the first night. To make this more comfortable, first rinse your brush under hot water to soften the bristles. The next day, begin flossing the area lightly and gradually return to normal brushing and flossing over the next week If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold or pressure, use a desensitizing toothpaste. If we prescribe a medicated mouth rinse, use it as directed. To control discomfort, take pain medication before anesthetic has worn off or as recommended. It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days. Call our office at 913.321.4385 if bleeding, sensitivity, or discomfort increases or continues beyond 3-4 days, or if you have any questions.
Root Canal Therapy
Now that you have had root canal therapy, it is important to follow these recommendations to ensure healing. Be sure to have an appointment made for the permanent crown. Once root canal therapy is completed, the tooth will become brittle and weak, therefore a crown must be placed to protect the tooth. If we placed a temporary filling on your tooth, avoid chewing for at least one-half hour to allow the restoration to harden. To keep your temporary restoration in place, avoid eating hard or sticky foods, especially chewing gum. If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth. It is not a problem for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear away or break-off, but if the entire filling wears out or comes out, call us at 913.321.4385 so we can replace it immediately. If we used anesthesia, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. Your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours. Brush and floss normally. If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone. To control discomfort, take Ibuprofen, Naproxen or Tylenol before the anesthesia has worn off or as recommended. It is normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal appointment, especially when chewing. To further reduce discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth our three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. Call us at 913.321.4385 if your bite feels uneven, if you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond three or four days, your temporary filling comes out or you have any questions or concerns.
Tooth Colored Fillings
If we used anesthesia during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely. Brush and floss normally. If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold or pressure,use a desensitizing toothpaste. Call our office at 913.321.4385 if you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond 3-4 days or if your bite feels uneven.
Silver or Amalgam Fillings
If we used anesthesia during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely. Brush and floss normally. Chew on the opposite side for 24 hours to allow the filling to set completely. If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold or pressure, use a desensitizing toothpaste. Call our office at 913.321.4385 if you have sensitivity or discomfort that increases or continues beyond 3-4 days or if your bite feels uneven.
Extractions
Follow these instructions to ensure the successful healing of your tooth extraction. It is normal
to experience some discomfort for several days after a tooth extraction but call us right away at 913.321.4385 if you have:
- heavy or increased bleeding
- pain or swelling that increases or continues beyond 2-3 days
- a bad taste or odor in your mouth
- a reaction to the medication (if prescribed)
It’s important that a blood clot forms on the extraction site to stop the bleeding, reduce pain and speed healing. To protect the clot and avoid the pain of a dry socket:
- Bite on a gauze pad firmly for 60 minutes. Blood and saliva mix in the mouth and make it look
like there is more blood than there really is. Some oozing is normal; however after 1 hour,
repeat with a clean gauze pad if oozing is profuse. The site could ooze for as long as 24 hours.
- Don’t spit, and don’t suck on candies or through a straw
- Don’t rinse your mouth, and don’t brush or floss next to the site for 24 hours
- Don’t smoke or use tobacco for at least 72 hours. Tobacco slows the healing process.
- Don’t sneeze or cough heavily
- Limit yourself to calm activities and elevate your head with pillowswhen you lie down to reduce bleeding
- Don’t drink hot, carbonated, or alcoholic drinks and avoid hot or spicy foods. To control discomfort take pain medication before the anesthesia has worn off or as recommended.
If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone. To keep swelling to a minimum, use an ice bag over the area, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. When the numbness has worn off completely, drink lots of fluids and eat only soft nutritious foods, chewing on the opposite side.
Temporary Crowns or Bridges
Now that we have placed your temporary crown or bridge, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure the success of your final restoration. If we used anesthesia during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. To keep your temporary in place, avoid eating hard or sticky foods especially chewing gum. Brush normally but floss carefully. Remove floss from the side to prevent the removal of your temporary crown.
If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold or pressure, use a desensitizing toothpaste. Call us at 913.321.4385 if sensitivity increases or persists beyond a few days or if your temporary crown comes off. If the crown comes off, save it so we can re cement it WITHIN 24 HOURS!!! It’s very important for the proper fit of your final crown that the temporary stays in place.
Stainless Steel Crowns / Caps
Now that we have placed your stainless steel crown, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure its success. If we used anesthesia during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. Do not chew gum or sticky candies as they will pull the crown off. If the crown comes off, save it so we can re cement it. Call us at 913.321.4385 if the crown comes off or if your bite feels uneven.
Caring for dentures / partials
It’s important that your dentures be kept free from plaque and tartar. This prevents permanent staining and bad breath. Use a denture brush and one of the many commercial cleaning products to thoroughly clean all of the surfaces of your denture at least once a day. Use a soft bristled tooth brush to brush your remaining teeth as well as your tongue, palate and gums. This keeps your natural teeth healthy so they can stabilize your partial denture. Tough stains and tartar can be removed by soaking your dentures in white vinegar for several hours. After you’ve cleaned your dentures, always remember to rinse them in water before placing them in your mouth. Whenever they are out of your mouth, your dentures should be stored in water. Your gums need to rest in order to remain healthy, so don’t wear your dentures while you sleep. Wear your partial dentures daily. If they are out of your mouth for a few days, your teeth will shift and the partial may not fit correctly.See us regularly for examinations to ensure that your dentures fit properly and your mouth stays healthy.Always let us know right away if you notice any changes in your bite or fit.
At Home Whitening
Over time your teeth darken as minerals penetrate their outer enamel layer. This darkening can be caused by foods and beverages that stain. We can prescribe a home whitening system that will safely lighten these stains giving you a whiter, brighter smile. A specially formulated whitening gel designed to be highly effective yet safe. This gel virtually erases stains and brightens your teeth without damaging your tooth enamel or gums. We will first examine your teeth and your mouth to make sure the at-home whitening is an appropriate option for you. We then take impressions of your teeth and use the impressions to make models of your teeth. Using these models, we make a personalized whitening tray that fits tightly over your teeth allowing us to achieve optimum results.
At home you will fill the tray with the whitening gel and place the tray over your teeth, If you have 22% bleach,keep tray in place for 45 minutes. If you have 35% bleach, keep it in place for 15 minutes only. After treatment, remove tray. Rinse tray and mouth with lukewarm water and brush teeth. Typically, you will see results in 1-2 weeks. We will monitor your progress on a regular basis ensuring that your gums aren’t becoming irritated and your teeth are whitening as desired.
Let us know if you experience some sensitivity during or following the whitening process. This is normal, and should subside shortly. We recommend sensitivity toothpaste to alleviate the sensitivity. Avoid foods a beverages that stain like coffee, cola,tea, berries, and red wine or brush or rinse with water after consuming them. See us periodically for touch ups to remove new stains.
