Post-Op Instructions

POST OP INSTRUCTIONS

  • FILLINGS
When anesthetic is used your lips, tongue and cheeks may be numb for several hours so use caution and avoid chewing until the numbness is completely gone.
If the bite feels uneven or high after the numbness has worn off, call the office for an adjustment appointment.

It is normal to experience some soreness or sensitivity to temperature changes
which usually goes away in a few days. If the gum is sore, rinse with warm, dilute salt water several times a day.

  • CROWNS, BRIDGES, INLAYS AND ONLAYS, VENEERS
Crowns and bridges usually take two or three appointments until the custom work is completed. A temporary filling, crown or bridge is placed to protect your tooth in between appointments. Avoid hard and sticky foods while wearing the temporary. Do continue to brush and floss around the tooth daily. When flossing do not pull the floss back through the contact. Instead let go of one end and pull floss out at the level of the gunline. Should it come out, call the office and bring the temporary with you for replacement.

When anesthetic is used your lips, tongue, and cheek may be numb for several hours so use caution and avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. Continue to brush and floss around the tooth or teeth to keep the gum healthy. Carefully pull the floss out sideways so it does not dislodge the temporary.

If the custom restoration feels high or your bite uneven after your appointment, call the office. Wear your night guard if one is recommended and do not use your teeth to open containers or bite down on hard foods. It is possible to fracture porcelain if you do not use proper caution with your new restorations.

  • SCALING AND ROOT PLANING/ARESTIN
After a deep cleaning and scaling gum tissue may be sore for two to three days. Use warm dilute salt water rinses several times a day starting with the following day.
Gently brush and floss the area to keep clean while healing. If Arestin (directly applied antibiotic) was placed in areas of pocketing, reframe from flossing, waterpiking for 7-10 days to avoid disturbing the medication. Eat soft foods if gum tissue is sensitive to chewing and avoid acidic foods such as citrus fruits, pineapple and tomato sauce for a couple of days.

When local anesthetic is used your lips, tongue and cheek may be numb for several hours so use caution and avoid chewing until the numbness is completely worn off.
It is normal to have increased sensitivity to cold following scaling and root planning and it typically diminishes over time. Gum tissue may also heal at a higher level as pockets decrease exposing root surfaces. Use a product such as Sensodyne should help minimize sensitivity. We can also apply desensitizers during recall visits that will help with persistent sensitivity. Please let us know during your next appointment if additional treatment would be helpful.

Periodontal maintenance appointments are usually on a three-month basis and are important because they help us maintain and monitor your gingival health. Occasionally, if pocket reduction is not satisfactory, a referral to a periodontist for evaluation is recommended.

  • DENTURES AND PARTIAL DENTURES
It is normal to experience sore spots while getting used to your new dentures. If one occurs, make sure to wear the denture or partial denture for several hours before the appointment to adjust it.

It is important to leave them out at night while you are sleeping to give the gums and supporting structures time to rest.

Clean the denture with a warm, soapy washcloth and rinse well before storing in a container at night. You may also soak the denture once a week with a denture cleaner. We will further clean it in an ultrasonic cleanser when you come in for an exam. Also rinse dentures or partials off after eating and thoroughly brush and floss around any remaining teeth.

It is important to return annually for a check up while wearing dentures. Over time changes will occur in the gum tissue and bone under the denture along with wear of the denture teeth. These changes will alter the denture not fit so relining or replacement may be necessary periodically.

  • ROOT CANAL
Root canal therapy often takes two appointments to complete. A temporary filling is in the tooth until a permanent filling and or crown can be placed. Between appointments it is common (although not a problem) for a small portion of the temporary filling to wear or break off. If the whole filling comes out, call us for an appointment so that we can place another. Use caution and reframe from eating hard or sticky foods on that side.

When anesthetic is used your lips, tongue, and cheek may be numb for several hours so use caution and avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.

It is usual for there to be some discomfort or achiness for several days after the appointment. Take pain medication or antibiotics as prescribed.

After the root canal is finished, a permanent filling and often a crown is placed to protect the tooth from fracturing.

  • EXTRACTIONS
After an extraction it’s important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. Please bite down on the gauze pad for 30 minutes after the extraction. If oozing continues after you remove the pad, wet another gauze pad provided to you and place it over the site. Bite down for an additional 30 minutes.
When anesthetic is used your lips, tongue, and cheek may be numb for several hours so use caution and avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.

After the blood clot forms it is important that you don’t smoke, suck through a straw, drink/eat hot foods or carbonated beverages for 24 hours. Limit yourself to calm activities for the first 24 hours to keep your blood pressure down and reduce bleeding.

After the tooth is extracted you may feel some pain and have some swelling. You can use an ice bag for 20 minutes once per hour for the first 24 hours.

Use pain medication only as directed and if antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if the symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

Drink lots of fluids and plan on eating soft foods such as soup, scrambled eggs, milk shakes, and yogurt for two or three days.

Return as instructed for a post op visit if stiches were placed. Please call the office if there is continued bleeding, swelling increases two or three days after the extraction, or if pain not relieved with medication recommended or prescribed.

  • WHITENING
Congratulations on taking the step to a whiter, brighter smile! When you arrive for your in office whitening, please be prepared to avoid eating foods or drink with color for the rest of the day. It is also normal to have some fleeting sensitivity following the appointment for 24 hours. If it becomes uncomfortable you may take Advil as prescribed barring any allergy.

Touch ups with whitening strips or custom trays will prevent your teeth from darkening over time. You may purchase Tres-white strips at our office or have custom whitening trays fabricated and use gel also available at our office. Individuals with misaligned teeth usually get a better result with custom trays.
We recommend touch ups the day after your six-month exam and cleaning when teeth are clean and stain free for maximum effectiveness.

  • PREVIDENT TOOTHPASTE
Prevident 5000 is prescription strength fluoride toothpaste for use in individuals who are at higher risk for cavity activity. This includes patients who are experiencing dry mouth. It is best used at night before bedtime. Apply a small amount to a dry toothbrush and brush onto teeth gently for 60 seconds. Spit out after use but do not rinse or eat for a minimum of thirty minutes. Optimally it should be used after thoroughly cleaning teeth first with brush and floss to remove the sticky plaque film. This product is available in the office and by prescription at your local pharmacy.

Prevident 5000 is also helpful if teeth are sensitive to cold temperatures.

  • MI PASTE
MI Paste is a product contains bioavailable calcium and phosphate and used to treat sensitivity and teeth that have experienced  softening  due to poor home care or increased acids in the mouth. It comes in formulas with and without fluoride and both are available at our office.

If this product is recommended apply a small dab to the cheek surface of the upper and lower teeth using a clean index finger or swab twice a day. Spit out excess and do not rinse or eat for 30 minutes. Saliva helps activate and flow the material around teeth.
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Our Location

8 Church Street Suite 1 Fishkill, NY

Office hours

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Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-1:00 pm

Friday:

Closed

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

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