Post-operative Home Care Instructions
Daily brushing and flossing are essential to maintain your new dental work. Removal of plaque on a daily basis is critical to the long-term health of your teeth and success of your dental work, as are regular professional cleaning appointments.
Foods and substances that can crack, chip or damage your natural teeth, can also damage your dental work and therefore should be consumed with care or avoided altogether. These include ice, beer nuts, peanut brittle, fingernails, pencils or sticky candies. Smoking and foods that stain your teeth may also stain your dental work. Minimize or avoid foods such as coffee, red wine, tea, and berries.
After Crown & Bridge Appointments
Crowns and bridges usually take two to four appointments to complete. During the first visit, the tooth (or teeth) is prepared and a digital scan of the mouth is taken. A temporary crown or bridge is placed to protect the teeth while the custom restoration is being made by the laboratory.
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, such as gum, or hard foods. If possible, chew on the opposite side of your mouth.
If the teeth are anesthetized during the appointment, the tongue and lips may be numb. Please refrain from eating, or drinking hot beverages, until the numbness has worn off completely. It is easy to bite or burn your tongue or lips while they are numb.
It is normal to experience mild temperature or pressure sensitivity after some appointments. The sensitivity should subside shortly after the placement of the final restoration.
Your gums may be sore after some visits. Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), Tylenol or aspirin work well to alleviate the tenderness. It is important to brush normally throughout the process of having the crown or bridge made so that the gums remain healthy.
If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at 732-531-4046.
After Composite (White) Fillings
When an anesthetic has been used, your lips and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid chewing and hot beverages until the numbness has worn off completely. It is easy to bite or burn your tongue or lips while you are numb.
It is normal to experience some sensitivity to hot, cold, or pressure after your appointment. Injection sites may also be sore. 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 hardened 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 732-531-4046.
After Amalgam Fillings
When an anesthetic has been used, your lips and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid chewing and hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off. It is easy to bite or burn your tongue or lips while they are numb.
It is normal to experience some temperature sensitivity. This will subside within a few weeks. Injection sites may also be sore.
Amalgam restorations take 24 hours to harden completely. Please eat on the opposite side of the mouth for 24 hours, after which normal chewing can resume.