Home Care Instructions
After Complete/Partial Dentures Delivery
After Crown & Bridge Appointments
After Tooth Extraction
After Composite (White) Fillings
After Root Canal Therapy
After Complete/Partial Dentures Delivery
Even the best fitting dentures will feel foreign in the mouth at first. New denture wearers especially will need time to get accustomed to these prostheses. It is common for patients to feel uncomfortable while eating during the first week as they may need to return for follow-up care. It is recommended for patients to stay on a soft food diet at first until proper function is managed.
To maintain good oral hygiene, brush the gums and tongue with a very soft bristle toothbrush to stimulate circulation prior to insertion of the dentures. The dentures should also be cleaned using a denture brush with a non-abrasive toothpaste or soaked in a denture cleanser solution. Do not wear the dentures to sleep to allow the gum tissues to rest and cleansed by the tongue and saliva. Increased bone resorption can occur with prolonged denture wearing especially during sleep.
Regular check-ups are still recommended to screen for oral cancer and chronic sore spots. With time, the jaw bones under the denture will resorb and shrink. To maintain the proper fit, adjustments or even remake of the dentures may be needed.
If your bite feels uneven, if you have sore areas, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at (805) 925-3717.
After Crown & Bridge Appointments
Crowns and bridges usually take two or three appointments to complete. In the first visit, the teeth are prepared and molds of the are taken. Temporary crowns or bridges are placed to protect the teeth while the custom restoration is being made. Since the teeth will be anesthetized, the tongue, lips, and roof of the mouth may be numb. Please refrain from eating and drinking hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off.
Occasionally 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.
It is normal to experience some temperature and pressure sensitivity after each appointment. The sensitivity should subside a few weeks after the placement of the final restoration. Mild pain medications may also be used as directed by our office.
If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at (805) 925-3717.
After tooth extraction, it’s important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. That’s why we ask you to bite on a gauze pad for 30-45 minutes after the appointment. If the bleeding or oozing still persists, place another gauze pad over the wound and bite firmly for another 30 minutes. You may have to do this several times.
After the blood clot forms, it is important not to disturb or dislodge the clot as it aids in healing. Do not rinse vigorously, suck on straws, smoke, drink alcohol, or brush teeth next to the extraction site for 72 hours. These activities will dislodge or dissolve the clot and retard the healing process. Limit vigorous exercise for the first 24 hours as this will increase blood pressure and may cause more bleeding from the extraction site.
After the tooth is extracted you may feel some pain and experience some swelling. An ice pack or an unopened bag of frozen peas or corn applied to the area will keep swelling to a minimum. Take pain medications as prescribed. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours.
Use the pain medication as directed. Call the office if the medication doesn’t seem to be working. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone. Drink lots of fluids and eat nutritious soft food on the day of the extraction. You can eat normally as soon as you are comfortable.
It is important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours. This should include brushing and flossing your teeth at least once a day. This will speed healing and help keep your mouth fresh and clean.
After a few days you will feel fine and can resume your normal activities. If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for two to three days, or a reaction to the medication, call our office immediately at (805) 925-3717.
After Composite (White) Fillings
When an anesthetic has been used, your lips and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid any chewing and hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off. It is very easy to bite or burn your tongue or lips while you are numb.
It is normal to experience some hot, cold, and pressure sensitivity after your appointment. Injection sites may also be sore. Ibuprofen (Motrin), Tylenol or aspirin (one tablet every three to four hours as needed for pain) work well to alleviate the tenderness. If pressure sensitivity persists beyond a few days or if the sensitivity to hot or cold increases, contact our office.
You may chew with your composite fillings as soon as the anesthetic completely wears off. Composite fillings are fully set when you leave the office.
If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at (805) 925-3717.
Since the teeth was anesthetized during the procedure, the tongue, lips, and roof of the mouth may be numb. Please refrain from eating and drinking hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off.
For the first few days after the treatment, the tooth may be sensitive and sore especially when the tooth is symptomatic. This can be remedied with over-the-counter or prescribed medications.
Avoid chewing or applying force on the treated tooth until it is properly restored. The tooth is very susceptible to fracture at this point. Once the root canal treatment is determined to be successful, a crown restoration on the tooth is recommended to prolong the life of the tooth.