Post-Op/Care Instructions

For your safety and comfort, please read the following information and adhere closely to the advice given. Please discuss anything you are unsure of with your treating practitioner, particularly if you experience undesirable post-operative symptoms that persist for longer than a week or develop over time.

For the initial 4 hours after procedure, DO NOT

Apply make up or rub the treated area;

Perform exercise;

Drink alcohol;

Lay down, this includes massages where you lay face down. Laying down can result in unwanted pressure being applied to treated areas.

For the first 24 hours (as well as the conditions above), DO NOT

Rub, massage or manipulate the treated area (this includes all facial/beauty treatments);

Undertake any air travel;

Expose yourself to extremes of temperature, either hot or cold, eg Saunas/cryotherapy

What to expect

Expect to “feel” or be aware of the product for the first couple of weeks until it dissipates. Avoid extended exposure to the sun or UV light for two weeks.

Expect temporary side effects from the injections which may last several days. Eg; Swelling, bruising, redness, itching, burning, pain- you may use mild analgesics like paracetamol if needed and intermittent ice application for any swelling. Any bruising you may experience is temporary and will subside over a short period of time.

Remember, results are not immediate but initial swelling in the treated area is perfectly normal. You should start to see the effects of the treatment within the first 4-5 days, but it will continue to enhance further over the next two weeks.

Crown and Bridge procedures may take two to three visits to complete.

At the first appointment (longer visit) your tooth will be prepared for the crown/bridge. The dentist will take an impression or scan of your mouth and make a temporary crown for you.

Your second visit will be scheduled 2-3 weeks after this initial visit.

You may experience some gum soreness after the initial visit as there is a lot of focus around the tooth and gum margin. Mild pain relief and salt-water rinses will be able to manage any post-operative discomfort.

For teeth that have NOT had a root canal treatment, tooth sensitivity is the most common post-operative symptom during the temporary stage. Once the permanent crown is fitted this should improve. Using sensitive toothpaste such as Colgate Pro relief or Sensodyne Rapid should manage these symptoms.

If you start to experience extreme sensitivity, aching or tenderness to eating/biting on the tooth, please contact the practice so that we can notify your treating Dentist. A review appointment may need to be arranged.

During the temporary phase, it is important to avoid eating hard, sticky foods on your temporary crown. These foods can dislodge or break the temporary crown which is held in place with a weak temporary cement. If your crown comes loose or breaks, please contact the practice to arrange for the temporary crown to be either re-cemented or remade.

It is important that you maintain the gum health during the temporary stage. However, you will need to be gentle and take care with brushing and flossing the area. When flossing the temporary, place the floss down as normal then on removal pull through out the side of the tooth rather than pulling back up.

Permanent crown

At the second appointment your permanent crown will be fitted. You will be able to eat soft food and drinks on this tooth immediately after your appointment. If you have had local anaesthetic to numb the area, please wait till numbness wears off before eating or drinking.

Most materials used to cement your crown will have two stages of setting. Once you leave the surgery your crown will be 90% set. The remaining setting phase will take up to 24hours PLEASE NOTE; Avoid eating hard and sticky foods for 24 hours after crown fitting.

You may experience sensitivity for the first few days after a crown has been fitted, this should settle within a week. If symptoms persist, please notify the practice.

If after a few days you are noticing any height difference or interference in your natural bite, or any soreness on biting or persistent sensitivity, please notify the practice. Do not “put up” with a high spot as this may lead to irritation and unnecessary trauma to the tooth.

After your crown is fitted, if you notice your floss catching when cleaning around your crown, this may indicate some residual cement. Please notify the practice to arrange a review with your dentist.

• Remove and rinse dentures after eating. Run water over your dentures to remove food debris and other loose particles. You may want to place a towel on the counter, in the sink or put some water in the sink so the dentures won’t break if you drop them.
• Handle your dentures carefully. Be sure you don’t bend or damage the plastic, also, be careful with the clasps while cleaning.
• Clean your mouth after removing your dentures. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush on natural teeth and gauze or a soft toothbrush to clean your tongue, cheeks and roof of your mouth (palate). If possible, use a separate toothbrush from the one you use on your denture.
• Brush your dentures at least daily. Gently clean your dentures daily by both soaking and brushing with a non-abrasive denture cleanser to remove food, plaque and other deposits. If you use denture adhesive, clean the grooves that fit against your gums to remove any remaining adhesive. Do not use denture cleansers inside your mouth.
• Soak dentures overnight. Most types of dentures need to remain moist to keep their shape. Place the dentures in water or a mild denture-soaking solution overnight. Check with your dentist about properly storing your dentures overnight. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on cleaning and soaking solutions.
• Rinse dentures before putting them back in your mouth, especially if using a denture-soaking solution. These solutions can contain harmful chemicals that can cause vomiting, pain or burns if swallowed.
• Schedule regular dental check-ups for your teeth and dentures. Incorrectly fitting dentures can result in pain and discomfort. For denture maintenance, your dentist will advise as to how often you should bring them into the dentist. Generally, if you have both teeth and dentures in your mouth, it is best to maintain 6 monthly check-ups. Please ensure you take your dentures to each dental visit.
• See your dentist if your dentures become loose or you develop any sore spots. It is important that you see your dentist promptly if your dentures become loose or sore spots arise. Loose dentures can cause irritation, sores and/or infection. Where possible, please wear your denture for 24 hours prior to your dental appointment this allows them to accurately assess where the trouble spots are.

Here are a few things you typically should avoid:

• Abrasive cleaning materials. Avoid stiff-bristled brushes, strong cleansers and harsh toothpaste, as these are too abrasive and can damage your dentures.
• Whitening toothpastes. Toothpastes advertised as whitening pastes are especially abrasive and generally should be avoided on dentures.
• Bleach-containing products. Do not use any bleaching products, these can weaken dentures and change their colour. Don’t soak dentures with metal attachments in solutions that contain chlorine because it can tarnish and corrode the metal.
• Hot water. Avoid hot or boiling water that could warp your dentures.

• If the dentist has placed a gauze swab, leave it in place for 30 minutes and then remove it. If required one more gauze swab can be placed for an additional 30 minutes.
• DO NOT rinse or spit at all for the first 24 hours. Drinking cold water from a cup is fine, but DO NOT use a straw.
• You can continue to brush/floss your teeth on the day of the extraction, however, we recommend not to spit out too hard after brushing, and just to put a little water in your mouth to lightly swish around, then allow it to fall out of your mouth rather than spitting. Dislodgement of the blood clot can expose the bone under an extraction site which can consequently become infected leading to what we call a “dry socket”. If this happens, please contact our offices for a quick assessment.
• After the first 24 hours, very gently rinse with salty water 3 times daily after meals. Continue this for up to 2 weeks.
• DO NOT eat at all or have any hot drinks while the area is still numb. Once the numbness has worn off, you may eat soft food, keeping it on the opposite side of the mouth away from the extraction site.
• DO NOT smoke cigarettes or consume alcohol for at least the first 3 days (longer if possible). Smoking or alcohol can result in poor healing of the socket and extreme pain.
• AVOID exercise, heavy lifting or any other strenuous activities for the first 24-48 hours.
• For pain relief you can take ibuprofen and paracetamol. DO NOT take these medications if you have allergies, intolerance or reactions. If unsure, please consult your medical GP or pharmacist.
• If you have you been instructed to take antibiotics for certain extractions, please complete the course, even if you experience no pain or discomfort.
• An icepack will aid in reducing swelling and bruising. Place it on the outside of the face near the extraction area, alternating 10 minutes on the face and 10 minutes break.
• If you decide to go home and lay down, ensure you have a pillow behind your head to keep it elevated.
• Some bone fragments may rise to the surface of the gums in the weeks following an extraction. This can be irritating but is completely normal. Leave the area alone and continue rinsing with salty water.
• If some sutures were placed after your extraction, your dentist would have informed you of the dissolving time for if you need to come back to have removed. However, usually the sutures placed will naturally dissolve in your mouth within one-four weeks. If they cause any concern during the dissolving period, please do not hesitate to contact our office to have your dentist look at the area.  
• If you had a bone graft performed, you may find some small granules in your mouth over the first few days. Don’t be alarmed as this is totally normal and as the area starts to heal this will reduce.

Fillings placed are fine to eat and drink on straight away. However, if you have been given anesthetic and are numb, we advise you to wait for the numbness to wear off. This will prevent the risk of soft tissue damage due to biting your lips, cheek or tongue. It can take up to six hours for the local anesthetic to wear off completely, but will usually wear off within 2-3 hours.

If you are supervising children after they have had a filling done, please make sure they don’t bite, play or poke their numb lips and tongue. This can cause serious soft tissue damage.

It is normal for a new filling to take a few days to settle in. You can experience some hot and cold sensitivity and or some gum soreness. This should subside in a few days. If you are having some gum soreness, use a warm saltwater rinse 1-2 per day to help settle the area.

After a day or two, if you notice that a new filling feels rough or high when you are biting down, please contact the office to arrange a quick “no fee” visit to adjust your new filling. Do not “put up” with a high spot on a tooth as this may lead to unnecessary irritation/trauma to the tooth.

DEEP fillings: The dentist will inform you at the time of your visit if you had a deep filling placed.

Deep fillings can take more time to settle down and patients can expect to have some ongoing sensitivity for up to two weeks. We advise patients if they are experiencing longer ongoing symptoms to contact the practice to arrange a review appointment.

You may eat and drink as soon as you feel comfortable. A soft diet is recommended. Drinks and food products, which are excessively hot, should be avoided during the first day as they may stimulate bleeding.

Place ice packs to the side of your face every 10-15 minutes over the next 6 hours to help reduce the swelling.

Take your medication as prescribed. It will be helpful to take your pain medication before the numbness from the local anaesthetic wears off.

Avoid vigorous mouth rinsing on the day of surgery as this may stimulate bleeding. You should rinse your mouth carefully 4 times a day for at least one week starting from the day after your surgery. You may use mouthwash (eg: Difflam-C or Savacol or salt-water mouthrinses).

Continue to clean your teeth 3 times a day from the day after your surgery with a soft, toothbrush. It is important to keep your mouth very clean to prevent infection. Avoid brushing the stitched area for 1 week.

Smoking is to be avoided as this will contribute to implant failure.

It is normal for swelling to increase during the first 2 to 3 days and this should slowly subside over one week. You may also experience some bruising. If bone grafting has been performed to the site then increased swelling and bruising can occur.

If you have had a two stage procedure, the stitches placed in your mouth are resorbable. They will fall out on their own usually after 2 weeks and can take up to 4 weeks. Some stitches may take longer than 2 weeks to resorb and the practitioner may remove them for you if they are causing irritation.

If your implant is a one stage procedure, you will have a temporary healing cap in place. You can gently brush this area after 1 week of healing. During the first week simply use mouth rinses to keep it clean. Occasionally, this healing cap can dislodge. Avoid using electric toothbrushes for this reason. If it dislodges please keep the healing cap, call the practice for an appointment, and bring it in to be re-installed. Avoid chewing hard foods over the healing cap site during the 3 month healing period. After 3 months, you will need to come in for an implant check appointment to have the implant assessed and an X-Ray performed. If the implant is successful then you can proceed to have the implant crown placed.

If your implant is a two stage procedure, then the gums will be sutured and the implant buried under the gums. Keep the area clean with mouth rinses for 1-2 weeks. You will need to arrange a second minor surgical appointment (Stage 2 surgery) in 4-6 months time to expose the implant. A small incision will be made, the implant will be tested and a healing cap placed and the gums subsequently sutured. After this appointment, you will need 3-4 weeks for the gums to heal and settle before you can return to your dentist to start the process of placing a crown (tooth) on the implant.

Dentures/ Temporary teeth: If you have had a temporary denture made, it may need to be adjusted by the practitioner to fit over the healing cap. You can wear your denture over the healing cap during the healing period. If the denture feels too tight over the implant site, please let your practitioner know and come in for an adjustment. Too much pressure can contribute to implant failure. Leave the denture out at night (and as much as possible throughout the day) to give the area a rest and keep it clean in a denture cleaning solution.