Patient Resources

Please follow the guidelines below and contact us with any questions.

• Avoid eating and drinking until local anesthesia has worn off.
• If you were given any prescriptions, please have them filled promptly and take as directed. If no prescriptions were given, you may choose to take ibuprofen medications such as Motrin or Advil (as long as you do not have any allergies to these medications) for alleviation of discomfort and swelling. Alternatively, you may use Tylenol. Do not exceed the guidelines printed on the label for any medication. If you are unable to achieve adequate pain control, please call our office.
• Applying a cold compress to the face near the treatment area will help minimize swelling. If using an ice pack, please do not apply ice directly to your skin but place a cloth between the ice and your skin at all times. You may apply the cold compress for up to 20 minutes on and at least 10 minutes off for the next 6-8 hours as needed.
• Once you resume eating and drinking, avoid chewing or biting on the treatment area until your permanent restoration is placed. The temporary filling or crown placed immediately following root canal treatment is usually a soft composite that is vulnerable to fracturing (cracking). For this reason, it is important to avoid chewing on hard substances such as peanuts, pretzels, hard candy, ice cubes, etc.. You may experience increased sensitivity prior to the placement of the final restoration. Waiting longer than a month increases the chances that the temporary will fracture or that decay will develop in the affected area.
• Please keep the treated area clean by gently brushing and flossing regularly.
• Some discomfort is normal for 2 to 4 days following root canal therapy. In some cases the tooth and surrounding tissue may be sore for a few weeks following treatment.

Please follow these instructions while you are awaiting your permanent crown or bridge. Do not hesitate to call the office should you have any questions about your temporary.

•  Avoid eating sticky foods (caramel, chewing gum, hard candy) on the side of the mouth with a temporary crown.
• Brush as normal around your temporary crown. You can use a modified technique for flossing. To do so, pop your floss in between your teeth to your gums and then pull it out on the Do not pop the floss back out as it can cause the loss and/or damage of your temporary crown.
• Your temporary plays an important role in protecting your tooth and holding the space for your permanent crown or should it need recementing or become damaged please call our office during business hours and we will be happy to recement or repair it.
• Should your temporary become uncemented on the weekend or while you are out of town, purchase temporary dental cement from a drugstore or use the given to you in our office. Remove any cement left in the temporary and replace it with a “teardrop” amount of cement. Do not leave any cement on your gums.
• It is normal to have significant changes in response to temperature and soreness at the injection site after dental restorations. This should subside within a few days and in some cases If your pain gets progressively worse or is causing more than mild discomfort, please call this office.
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) is very effective for dental Take as directed on the bottle as needed to help control the sensitivity in this area.
• Should the gums around crown temporary crown become sensitive, rinse 4 times a day with a warm salt water solution (½ tsp salt to ½ cup water).

Removable partial or full dentures require proper care to keep them clean, free from stains and looking their best. For good denture care:

•  Remove and rinse dentures after eating. Run water over your dentures to remove food debris and other loose particles. You may want to place a towel on the counter or in the sink or put some water in the sink so the dentures won’t break if you drop them.
• Handle your dentures carefully. Be sure you don’t bend or damage the plastic or the clasps when cleaning.
• Clean your mouth after removing your dentures. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush on natural teeth and gauze or a soft toothbrush to clean your tongue, cheeks and roof of your mouth (palate). If used, remove any remaining denture adhesive from your gums.
• Brush your dentures at least daily. Remove and gently clean your dentures daily. Soak and brush them with a soft-bristled brush and nonabrasive denture cleanser to remove food, plaque and other deposits. If you use denture adhesive, clean the grooves that fit against your gums to remove any remaining adhesive. Don’t use denture cleansers inside your mouth.
• Soak dentures overnight. Most types of dentures need to stay moist to keep their shape. Place the dentures in water or a mild denture-soaking solution overnight.
• Rinse dentures thoroughly before putting them back in your mouth, especially if using a denture-soaking solution. These solutions can contain harmful chemicals that cause vomiting, pain or burns if swallowed.

PRE – TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS

In an ideal situation it is prudent to follow some simple guidelines before treatment that can make all the difference between a fair result or great result, by reducing some possible side effects associated with the injections. We realize this is not always possible; however, minimizing these risks is always desirable.

• Patient must be in good health with no active skin infections in the areas to be treated
• Patient should not be needle phobic
• Avoid alcoholic beverages at least 24 hours prior to treatment. Alcohol may thin the blood which will increase the risk of bruising.
• Avoid anti-inflammatory / blood thinning medications ideally, for a period of two (2) weeks before treatment. Medications and supplements such as Aspirin, Vitamin E, Gingo Biloba, St. John’s Wort, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, Aleve, Vioxx, and other NSAIDS are all blood thinning and can increase the risk of bruising/swelling after injections.
• Schedule Botox® appointment at least 2 weeks prior to a special event which may be occurring, i.e., wedding, vacation, etc. etc. It is not desirable to have a very special event occurring and be bruised from an injection which could have been avoided.

POST – TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS

• No straining, heavy lifting, vigorous exercise for 3-4 hours following treatment. It is now known that it takes the toxin approximately 2 hours to bind itself to the nerve to start its work, and because we do not want to increase circulation to that area to wash away the Botox® from where it was injected.
• Avoid manipulation of area for 3-4 hours following treatment. (For the same reasons listed above.) This includes not doing a facial, peel, or micro-dermabrasion after treatment with Botox®. A facial, peel, or micro-dermabrasion can be done in same appointment only if they are done before the Botox®.
• Facial exercises in the injected areas is recommended for 1-hour following treatment. This is to stimulate the binding of the toxin only to the localized area.
• It can take 2 -10 days to take full effect. It is recommended that the patient contact the office no later than 2 weeks after treatment if desired effect was not achieved and no sooner to give the toxin time to work.

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 45 minutes after the appointment. If the bleeding or oozing persists, insert another gauze pad and bite firmly for another 30 minutes. You may have to do this several times.

• Do not rinse or spit for 24 hours after surgery.
• Keep your fingers and tongue away from the socket or surgical area.
• Use ice packs on the surgical area (side of face) for the first 48 hours; apply ice 20 minutes on and 10 minutes off. (Note: Bags of frozen peas work well.)
• For mild discomfort, take Tylenol® or ibuprofen every 3–4 hours.
• For severe pain, use the medication prescribed to you.
• Drink plenty of fluids. (Do not use a straw—this creates suction in the mouth that could cause complications.)
• We suggest that you do not smoke for at least 5 days after surgery.
• Avoid strenuous activity and do not exercise for at least 3–4 days after surgery. After that, be careful: your regular caloric and fluid intake have been reduced, so you may get light-headed, dizzy, or weak.
• If the muscles of the jaw become stiff, the use of warm moist heat to the outside of your face over the spots that are stiff will relax these muscles.
• After the first post-operative day, use a warm salt water rinse following meals for the first week to flush out particles of food and debris that may lodge in the surgical area. (Mix ½ teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Mouthwash can be added for better taste.)
• Your diet should consist mainly of soft, easily swallowed foods and cool drinks. Avoid anything that might get stuck in your teeth, so no seeds, nuts, rice, popcorn, or similar foods.

Scaling and root planning is done to remove tartar or calculus around and below the gum line in order to obtain a healing response so the gum tissue so can firmly reattach to roots that are clean and smooth. This is the recommended treatment for periodontal (gum) disease.

• Please wait until the numbness has worn off before eating or chewing because you could bite yourself unknowingly.
• Avoid extremely hot or cold food for the next 24-48 hours. it is also essential to avoid acidic foods (your tooth will be sensitive) and hard foods such as popcorn, chips, or seeds for several days. Sharp particles of these foods can become lodged in the spaces between the teeth and gums, further irritating the tissues and causing setbacks.
• Refrain from smoking for at least 24 hours after the procedure to ensure healthy healing of gum tissues. Moreover, smoking has been proven to cause and accelerate plaque build-up that eventually causes periodontal disease. Finally, smoking can reverse the success of the scaling and root planning treatment.
• Brush your mouth very gently as it may be tender or bleeding for a day or two.
• Use the prescribed medication such as PerioMed as recommended.
• Brush twice daily for two minutes, using a toothbrush with soft bristles (ideally, an electric toothbrush), use string floss nightly, and use a WaterPik if recommended by your hygienist.

Several days after deep cleaning has being completed, your gums should appear more pink, less swollen, and bleed less. These are signs of healing and improving periodontal health. Periodontal Maintenance every 3 Months is needed to monitor and maintain your progress until

• Do not smoke for 48 hours.
• Avoid foods and beverages that stain (red sauce, blueberries, juice, coffee, tea, etc.).
• Mild sensitivity to hot or cold liquids may occur. This usually passes within 1 – 2 days. If sensitivity persists, we recommend taking over the counter pain medication. We recommend combining two Ibuprofens (such as Motrin) with two Acetaminophens (such as Tylenol).
• If you experience gum sensitivity do not brush the afflicted area while brushing your teeth. Immediate whitening results can be quite dramatic due to minor dehydration of your teeth. It is normal for the color to tone down somewhat after treatment when your teeth rehydrate to a natural white tone.
• Long term results vary from patient to patient. This can depend on the original shade of your teeth and include habits such as smoking or drinking colored beverages (red wine, coffee, tea, etc.).
• Touch-up treatments may be needed every 6-12 months to retain color. You are being sent home with take-home trays and whitening gel to use as needed for touchups. More whitening gel can be purchased as needed.
• Existing fillings, crowns, bonding, etc. will not whiten. Therefore, these may need to be changed in order to match your new smile.