Post Operative Instructions

• If an anesthetic has been used, your lip and tongue might feel numb for a few hours after your appointment. Avoid chewing and drinking hot drinks until the numbness has subsided so as not to accidentally bite or burn your tongue, cheek, or lips.
• You may use Ibuprofen (Advil) 600 mg before the anesthetic has worn off to help alleviate any pain from the site of anesthetic injection.
• Injection sites may be sore for a few days after your appointment. 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 the pain and swelling.
• Sometimes the teeth that have been treated may feel sensitive for a few days after treatment. This is normal and will likely subside.

If your bite is uneven, or pain persists, or if you have any questions or concerns, please call our office at 408-749-9018.

• If an anesthetic has been used, your lip and tongue might feel numb for a few hours after your appointment. Avoid chewing and drinking hot drinks until the numbness has subsided so as not to accidentally bite or burn your tongue, cheek, or lips.
• After an extraction, the extraction site must be allowed to clot and begin the healing process. You will be asked to bite on a gauze pad for 30-45 minutes after the procedure to help with the clotting process.
• If bleeding or oozing continues after you have removed the gauze pad, place another pad and bite firmly for another 30 minutes. Repeat until the bleeding has stopped.
• Please avoid smoking, sucking on a straw, or vigorous cleaning of the mouth near the extraction site for the next 72 hours.
• Eat a soft diet and avoid chewing on the extraction site for the next 72 hours.
• Limit demanding exercise for the next 24 hours so as not to reopen the wound by increase blood pressure.
• An ice bag may be used to reduce swelling and pain. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours.
• If pain medication has been prescribed, please take them as needed.
• If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if signs and symptoms of infections are gone.
• Gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water three times a day (put a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, and then gently rinse, swish, and spit).
• Also, rinse gently after meals. This helps keep food out of the extraction site.
• It’s very important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours. This should include brushing your teeth and tongue and flossing at least once a day.

Please call our office at 408-749-9018, if you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling after two or three days, or a reaction to the medication.

• Temporary crowns are normally fit in place of the final crown in order to protect and allow limited function of your tooth as we wait for the delivery of your final crown.
• Tooth sensitivity is normal and should not be a call for concern. If sensitivity does not subside after a week or worsens please contact us.
• You should be able to chew soft foods comfortably. It is important to resume normal dental hygiene.
• However, be careful while flossing and brushing so as not to break or dislodge the temporary crown.
• When flossing, floss toward the gumline, release one end of the floss, and pull the floss out the side (preventing a dislodging motion on the temporary).
• You may use Ibuprofen (Advil) 600 mg before the anesthetic has worn off to help alleviate any pain from the site of anesthetic injection.

On Occasion, Temporary Crowns Come Off

• You may use the temporary adhesive (Fixodent) that will be provided to you to recement the temporary.
• The temporary only fits in one way and once placed you should not feel that you are biting on the tooth harder than any other.
• After trying in, gently clean the temporary and place a drop of Fixodent in and replace.
• If you have difficulty or any problems, please call us and bring the temporary so we can re-cement it.

Keeping Your Temporary Crown In Place

• In most cases, it is very important for the proper fit of your final restoration that temporaries stay in place.
• To help keep your temporary in place, avoid eating sticky foods (especially gum), hard foods, and if possible, chew mostly on the opposite side of your mouth.

If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at 408-749-9018.

• Do not bite or chew anything sticky for 8 hours after placement allowing for the final cement to fully harden.
• Your gum tissue around the new crown may be a little tender, this is normal. Saltwater rinses are good for this. Mix 1 tsp. table salt with 1 cup of warm water and rinse for 30 seconds.
• Repeat this 2-3 times a day for 4 to 5 days or until the condition is resolved.

If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at 408-749-9018.