Home Instructions

• After Cosmetic Reconstruction
• After Crown and Bridge Appointments
• After Dental Extractions
• After Oral Surgery
• After Composite Fillings (white fillings)
• After Endodontics (Root Canal Therapy)

After Cosmetic Reconstruction

Remember that it will take time to adjust to the feel of your new bite. When the bite is altered or the position of the teeth is changed it takes several days for the brain to recognize the new position of your teeth or their thickness as normal. If you continue to detect any high spots or problems with your bite, call our office so we can schedule an adjustment appointment.

It is normal to experience some hot and cold sensitivity. The teeth require some time to heal after removal of tooth structure and will be sensitive in the interim. Your gums may also be sore for a few days. Warm salt water rinses (a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) three times a day will reduce pain and swelling.  A mild pain medication (one tablet of Tylenol or Ibuprofen (Motrin) every 3-4 hours) should ease any residual discomfort.

Don’t be concerned if your speech is affected for the first few days. You’ll quickly adapt and be speaking normally. You may notice increased salivation. This is because your brain is responding to the new size and shape of your teeth. This should subside to normal in about a week.

Daily brushing and flossing are a must for your new dental work. Daily plaque removal is critical for the long-term success of your new teeth, as are regular cleaning appointments.

Any food that can crack, chip or damage a natural tooth can do the same to your new teeth. Avoid hard foods and substances (such as beer nuts, peanut brittle, ice, fingernails, or pencils) and sticky candies. Smoking will stain your new teeth. Minimize or avoid foods that stain such as coffee, red wine, tea and berries.
 
If you engage in sports let us know so we can make a custom mouthguard. If you grind your teeth at night, wear the night guard we have provided for you. Adjusting to the look and feel of your new smile will take time. If you have any problems or concerns, please let us know. We always welcome your questions.

After Crown and Bridge Appointments

Crowns and bridges usually take two or three appointments to complete. On the first visit, the teeth are prepared and molds of the mouth 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 is 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 temporaries 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 (970) 223-5393.

After Dental Extractions

MOUTH CARE: No rinsing or smoking for 24 hours following surgery. Brush and floss as usual, avoiding surgical areas.

BLEEDING: Normal oozing may occur for 48 hours following surgery. This can be controlled by applying a firm biting pressure with a moist, folded gauze pad placed over the tooth socket. If bleeding becomes brisk and quickly fills the mouth, call the telephone number listed below immediately.

PAIN: The greatest amount of discomfort can be expected in the first six to eight hours after the procedure. Never take pain medication on an empty stomach. If no prescribed pain medication is necessary for you, use a non-aspirin pain reliever. If itching or rash develops, discontinue all medications and contact the office immediately. If dull pain and/or earache develops after the third or fourth day following the procedure, please call for an appointment immediately.

INFECTION: If after the fourth day following the procedure swelling and discomfort increases, along with a foul taste, fever, and difficulty swallowing, please contact our office immediately.

DIET: It is important to maintain good nutrition following surgery. Eat a lukewarm, soft diet the day of the procedure. Do NOT drink through a straw. Drink as many fluids as possible for three days following your extraction.

IF FOR ANY REASON YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CONDITION, PLEASE NOTIFY DR. HARRISON IMMEDIATLEY BY CALLING 223-5393.

After Oral Surgery

MOUTH CARE: No smoking, no rinsing or spitting, nothing hot (i.e. coffee, tea, or soup). Avoid carbonated beverages and DO NOT drink through a straw for 24 hours following surgery. Brush and floss as usual, avoiding surgical sites.

BLEEDING: Normal oozing may occur for 48 hours following surgery and can be controlled by firm biting pressure on a gauze pad placed over the tooth socket. If bleeding is brisk and fills the mouth with blood quickly, contact Dr. Harrison immediately.

SWELLING: Swelling and sometimes bruising are common after surgery. The maximum swelling, pain and jaw stiffness normally occurs two or three days after surgery. Apply ice packs after arriving home fifteen minutes on, then fifteen minutes off until bedtime on the day of surgery to keep swelling to a minimum.

MUSCLE SORENESS: Difficulty in opening jaws is common after third molar (wisdom tooth) removal. Chewing sugarless gum at intervals will help muscle soreness along with moist heat 36 hours following surgery.

DIET: It is important to maintain good nutrition following surgery. Eat a high protein, lukewarm soft diet the day of surgery. Drink as many fluids as possible for three days following surgery.

IF FOR ANY REASON YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CONDITION, NOTIFY DR. HARRISON IMMEDIATELY BY CALLING 223-5393.

After Composite Fillings (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 lip while you are numb.

It is normal to experience some hot, cold & pressure sensitivity after your appointment. Injection sites may also be sore. Ibuprofen (Motrin), Tylenol or aspirin (one tablet every 3-4 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, since they 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 (970) 223-5393.

After Endodontics (Root Canal Therapy)

What to expect:

1. 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 one week.
2. Your tooth will be sensitive to pressure and may even appear to feel loose. This feeling is a result of the sensitivity of nerve endings in the tissue just outside the end of the root, where we cleaned, irrigated and placed a filler and sealer material. This feeling will be short-lived.
3. You may feel a depression or rough area (on the top of a back tooth or the back of a front tooth) where our access was made. There is a soft, temporary material in that area, which may wear away to some degree by your next visit.
4. Occasionally, a small “bubble” or “pimple” will appear on the gum tissue within a few days after completion of a root canal. This represents the release of pressure and bacteria, which no longer can be sustained around the tooth. This should disappear within a few days.

What to do:

1. We recommend that you take something for pain relief within one hour of leaving our office in order to get the medication into your blood system before the anesthesia we administered begins to subside. Generally, only one dose is needed. We recommend ibuprofen (Nuprin, Advil, Motrin) - 800 mg (four tablets). If you have a medical condition or gastrointestinal disorder that precludes ibuprofen, acetaminophen (Tylenol, Excedrin) is a substitute, although it does not contain anti-inflammatory properties. Aspirin and aspirin-containing products are NOT advisable, as they tend to increase bleeding from the area that was treated.
2. Whenever possible, try to chew on the opposite side from the tooth we have just treated, until a crown or onlay has been placed, or until the access area is restored. Until that time, your tooth is weakened and fracture is possible.
3. Avoid chewing gum, caramels, or other sticky, soft candy, which could dislodge the temporary material or fracture your tooth.

Please call us if…

1. you are experiencing symptoms more intense or of longer duration than those described above.
2. you encounter significant post-operative swelling.
3. the temporary material is dislodged, feels loose, or feels “high” when biting.
4. your tooth fractures.
5. you have any questions at all.