Your new composite fillings are fully hardened before you even leave the office; however, it is wise to chew on the opposite side of the newly placed filling(s). Your gums may be sore for several days. Rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water (put a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, rinse and spit) to reduce pain and swelling. One of the most common problems following filling placement with anesthesia, is an incorrect bite.
It is normal to experience some hot, cold and biting sensitivity for 3-4 days after your appointment. It should decrease each day after this period. If it doesn’t, please call our office. 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. If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please contact our office immediately to obtain help or advice.
Root canal therapy can take 1-2 appointments to complete. After each appointment when anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours. Avoid any chewing on the side of the treated tooth until the numbness has completely worn off.
A temporary filling or crown is placed by your dentist to protect the tooth between appointments.
Between appointments, it’s common (and not a problem) for a small portion of your temporary filling or crown to wear away or break off. If the entire filling falls out, or if a temporary crown comes off, please call our office so it can be replaced.
To protect the tooth and help keep your temporary in place: ·
It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal therapy appointment, especially when chewing. It is not uncommon for a tooth to be uncomfortable or even exhibit a dull ache immediately after receiving root canal therapy. This should subside within a few days (or even weeks). Even if you were not experiencing any discomfort prior to treatment, it is normal for you to experience some degree of discomfort for a few days after. The tenderness is normal and is no cause for alarm.
To control discomfort, take pain medication as recommended by your dentist. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.
If you were not prescribed a pain medication by us but are experiencing pain after your appointment, we recommend taking over the counter pain medication. We recommend ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin) or naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox). Should you experience discomfort that cannot be controlled with pain medications or should swelling develop, please call our office.
To further reduce pain and swelling, rinse three times a day with warm salt water; dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, then rinse, swish, and spit. 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. Unless otherwise noted by the dentist, it is critical to have a crown placed on your root canal therapy treated tooth as soon as possible. Delay in obtaining final restoration (crown) may result in fracture and/or possible loss of the tooth. If your bite feels uneven, you have persistent pain, or you have any other questions or concerns, please call our dental office.
Spitting, the use of a straw, smoking, and poking the surgical area can dislodge the blood clot that is forming and will cause bleeding from the area. Also, smoking can increase the chances of an infection.
BLEEDING:
Some minor bleeding is expected after dental implant surgery. It will usually subside quickly and stop within an hour or two after surgery. A little oozing is normal and may persist for several hours.
SWELLING:
Most patients will experience some swelling after surgery in the mouth. It may be mild or severe and is different for every patient. The swelling may increase for the first 24–48 hours before it starts to go away. It may last for several days. Some bruising may also develop on the face.
You may start with non-abrasive foods such as mashed potatoes, pasta, cottage cheese, soup, or scrambled eggs as soon as the local anesthetic wears off.
You may resume a regular diet as soon as you feel up to it; however, please try not to chew directly on the implant sites.
You may start rinsing tomorrow, very gently, with some warm salt water (1 tsp of salt in 8 ounces of warm water). You may brush your teeth per usual, though be very careful near the surgical sites.
Unless told otherwise, the sutures used during your procedure are dissolvable and will fall out on their own. This generally occurs in the first week after surgery, but timing varies from 4–10 days.
If your surgeon placed bone graft material at the time the dental implant was placed, you might notice some gritty material in your mouth.
This is nothing to worry about and should subside within a day or two.
A dental crown can be attached to a dental implant once the implant has fused to the bone. This is a process called osseointegration.
The length of time the bone must heal varies from case to case and will be discussed with your surgeon. The length of time needed for osseointegration is a function of the bone quality, quantity, and implant stability at the time of placement.
You were probably given one or more prescriptions for medications. Take all as directed on the bottle. Call us if you experience severe nausea or diarrhea, or cannot swallow your pills.
Once you are no longer taking narcotic pain medication, you may resume your normal activities as you feel up to it. Go easy at first with exercise and recreation, and increase your activity slowly over several days back to your normal routine.
Please follow these instructions as closely as possible. They are designed to help you heal quickly and comfortable
What to Expect after a Crown or Bridge Tooth Preparation
When damages to a tooth are extensive, it should be restored with a crown or also known as a cap. Crowns can be made from metals such as gold, palladium, and titanium; or from porcelain or plastic polymers. A fixed bridge is made from two or more crowns attached together to support and fill the space created from missing or extracted teeth. During the preparation for a crown the defective structure of a tooth will be removed to make room for the crown materials. Then an accurate mold will be taken and sent to the dental laboratory to fabricate the final crown. A second appointment is required to cement the crown permanently.
FIRST APPOINTMENT
Crown preparation – Following the first appointment you will receive a temporary crown that is placed and cemented to the prepared tooth. Because temporary cement washes out rapidly, you may experience some sensitivity to cold and hot. Try to brush the area gently and when you floss, pull the floss out from the side rather than upward. The rapid upward motion may dislodge the temporary crown. If a temporary crown becomes loose or falls out, clean the temporary cement from the inside the crown, then apply vaseline inside the crown and place it back on the tooth. Immediately call and come back to the office to get the crown either re-cemented or re-fabricated.
SECOND APPOINTMENT
Final cementation- Please do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after your new crown is cemented. Do not eat hard or sticky foods for 24 hours while the cement completely sets.
Your new crown may feel tight or as if it is pushing against the teeth next to it for several hours. This discomfort will go away within a day or two.
Sensitivity, especially to hot and cold is common after a crown is cemented. This may be the results of a chemical reaction between the final cement and the tooth.The sensitivity usually subsides within a week or ten days. Usually the deeper the cavity, the more sensitive the tooth will be.
You should make an adjustment appointment if the sensitivity persists or increases. We always make a check appointment a week after the final cementation of a crown to assure the excellent tissue reaction and to remove potential excess cement. The finished restoration may be contoured slightly different and have a different texture than the original tooth. Your tongue usually magnifies this small difference, but you will become accustomed to this in a few days. Please follow prescribed oral hygiene instructions-45 degree angle brushing twice a day and flossing once a day to avoid getting a cavity or gum disease around your new crown. Flossing is especially important in preserving the health of your crown or bridge. A correctly fabricated crown or bridge should function as comfortably as your own tooth.
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We are confident that our patients will leave our office with a positive dental experience every time. We are confident that our patients will be provided long term dental health that will last a life time.