Post-Op Instructions

Please select a procedure to know post-op instructions.

• Extraction
  1. Apply pressure on the gauze pad placed over the extraction site for one hour. If the bleeding continues, new gauze should be placed and apply pressure for another hour. Keep changing gauze every hour until the bleeding stops. If bleeding does not stop in 4-5 hours, please contact your doctor.
  2. If you are supervising a child who had an extraction done, make sure they don't bite on their numb lips or tongue (it can cause serious injury to their soft tissue).
  3. Avoid spitting or gargling for at least one day. It is okay to brush the next day everywhere else. Also, avoid using any mouthwash with alcohol for at least days to allow healing.
  4. Avoid eating and drinking until bleeding stops and numbing wears off. Eat on the opposite side of the surgery for two weeks to avoid food impaction and allow proper healing.
  5. Avoid drinking through straw for seven days. Avoid any carbonated drinks, alcohol, or smoking for at least seven days.
  6. It is okay to drink coffee, tea, or milkshake as long as it is not too hot or cold.
  7. You may experience some pain, bruising around your lips, and/or some swelling. Ice pack application on the face for 10 minutes and medication prescribed by the doctor can help in minimizing the discomfort.
  8. Eating food like rice, noodles, soup, pudding, beans, and anything which is soft and not too spicy is okay. Just make sure to eat on the other side of the month.
  9. Please take all the medication you have received based on the provided instructions.
  10. Call our office if you experience excessive bleeding, severe pain, swelling, or if you have any questions or concerns. In case of serious emergencies, call 911.
  11. Sometimes the blood clot in the socket breaks loose, exposing the bone in the socket. This is a painful condition called dry socket. If this happens, your dentist will likely place a sedative dressing over the socket for a few days to protect it.
• Fillings
  1. Do not eat anything until your numbness wears off as it may create biting on your lip or tongue and lead to serious injury. Supervise children closely to avoid any biting on the lip or tongue.
  2. You may experience cold and heat sensitivity and some gum soreness; this usually subsides within a few days.
  3. Call our office if you experience pain or discomfort in chewing for more than a few days after the fillings, or for any other questions.
• Crowns, Bridge, Inlays and Onlays
  1. Crowns and bridges usually take 2 or 3 appointments to complete. On the first appointment, the tooth/teeth are prepared, impressions are taken, and a temporary crown is placed on your tooth/teeth.
  2. You may experience sensitivity, gum soreness, and slight discomfort on the tooth/teeth; it should subside after 2-3 weeks after the permanent crown cementation.
  3. Whenever anesthesia is used, avoid chewing on your teeth until the numbness has worn off.
  4. A temporary crown is usually made of plastic-based material and it is cemented with temporary cement which is weaker than the regular cement so the temporary crown can break or come off easily upon eating or flossing hard.
  5. The temporary crown is placed to protect the tooth and prevent other teeth from moving. If it comes off, it should be replaced as soon as possible. To avoid losing your temporary crown, please avoid chewing on that side as much as possible. And if it comes off for any reason please call our office as soon as possible to get it re-cemented.
  6. You can brush normally around the temporary crown but during flossing instead of pulling the floss gently slide the floss out from in between the teeth to avoid pulling out the temporary crown.
  7. After the permanent restoration is placed, you may feel sensitivity to cold food items for a few days. But if after 2-3 days the bite still feels uneven or if you feel discomfort while chewing on the tooth, please call our office to evaluate the tooth and if the bite needs to be adjusted. Delaying the necessary adjustments may damage the tooth permanently.
  8. Call our office if you are in pain or have any other questions.
• Root Canal Treatment
  1. You may experience moderate pain and sensitivity to pressure on your tooth for a week to 10 days after the procedure. You may also experience gum soreness for a few days after your treatment. The healing process may take several days. However, the pain and discomfort should subside gradually.
  2. Usually a temporary crown is placed on the tooth after the root canal treatment. Avoid eating on that side until a permanent (definitive) crown is placed.
  3. Continue normal brushing. In the case of a temporary crown, slide the floss out from in between the teeth instead of pulling the floss to avoid loosening the temporary crown.
  4. Take the medication as prescribed by the doctor.
  5. Follow up with the placement of your permanent restoration. Any unnecessary delay in placement of final restoration may damage the tooth permanently.
  6. Call our office if you are in severe pain or experience swelling, or have any other questions or concerns.
• Teeth Cleaning (Deep Cleaning, Scaling and Root Planing)
  1. You may experience some sensitivity to cold and hot food items after cleaning (especially after deep cleaning). This happens because after removal of tartar and bacteria, tooth and root surfaces are exposed until the gums heal around the teeth.
  2. If you have received anesthesia do not eat anything until the numbness wears off.
  3. Continue your regular brushing, flossing, and mouthwash if advised by your doctor.
  4. Some bleeding for a day or two after cleaning is normal. However, if you experience any excessive bleeding, call our office.
  5. Call our office if you are in pain or have any questions.
• Dentures and Partials
  1. Always remove dentures and partials at night as wearing dentures at night will accelerate ridge resorption.
  2. Keep dentures and partials in cold water at night.
  3. Always clean your dentures and partials with a denture brush at night before putting them in cold water. Remove your partials after each meal and rinse your mouth as it will help in removing food particles from around the teeth and prevent them from cavities
  4. If you develop any sore spot upon wearing a denture or partial, please let your doctor know as it may need some adjustment.
  5. If you are wearing a denture or partial for the first time, it may take some time to get used to it. Some people experience that they can't taste certain food and their speech is different, it is perfectly normal because it may take some time for your tongue to get adjusted to the position of the denture or partial.
  6. Brush the denture every day to remove food deposits and plaque. This prevents the denture from becoming permanently stained.
  7. It's best to use a brush that is designed for cleaning dentures because it has bristles that are arranged to fit the shape of the denture. A regular, soft-bristled toothbrush is also acceptable.
  8. If you have any other questions or want to know more about implant-supported dentures which are much more comfortable than regular dentures or partials, please call us and we will be happy to discuss it with you.
• Bone Graft Surgery

  If you had bone graft placed at the site of infection, extraction or dental implant, surgical placement can expedite generation of new bone in the area or surgery. You will be advised of the particular procedure and pertinent directions relative to your treatment modality.

  You will have sutures (stitches) placed at the surgical site. These sutures may or may not be resorbable. If you have been told that you received silk sutures, they have to be removed by your doctor. Bone generation is a slow process so it is very important to allow the surgical area to heal without any disturbance. If sutures break or come off earlier from the surgical site due to any reason it can expose bone, create more pain, and delay healing dramatically. The sutures will remain in place for 2 to 3 weeks depending on the size of the graft, the severity of the pathology, and the condition of the tissue being sutured.

  The healing process can vary from person to person. It also depends on the level of treatment. The doctor may extend the time before your sutures are removed to assure adequate healing and to avoid surgical regression.

  Since bone grows and heals slowly, it requires conditions conducive to a proper environment and blood supply. Thus, it is imperative that immediately after your bone graft you alter your diet, as you would for any oral surgical procedure. This means that you should eat food which is soft, not spicy or too hot or too cold to avoid any disturbance to the surgical site. Any food that is too hot will have a deleterious effect on your surgical procedure. If for some reason you have questions about anything post-surgically, please call the office

  Smoking after any oral surgical procedure may delay or disrupt normal healing due to a decrease in oxygenation of the tissue that is healing. Smoking should therefore be stopped for the first 7 to 10 days to allow for adequate initial tissue closure. Complete wound healing normally takes a minimum of 21 days from the day the surgery was completed under ideal healing conditions, and with no other underlying systemic causes such as Diabetes etc.

  Bone grafting is a very predictable surgical procedure when done correctly and when patient cooperation is adhered to. Please try to be reasonable in understanding that this procedure has inherent risks associated with it, as stated in your informed consents. Some of these risks are also pertinent to your post-operative care.