Post-Op Instructions

Keep gauze pressing firmly on surgical site for thirty minutes. Change gauze every 30 minutes until bleeding stops. Oozing for up to 24 hours is normal.
Swelling and bruising may occur after surgery and will normally peak 2-3 days later. Keep your head elevated. Ice pack the day of surgery and then moist heat will help reduce swelling.
Take pain medicine as prescribed on the day of surgery even if numb. Never take pain medication on an empty stomach.
Do not rinse, spit, use straws, or use tobacco the day of surgery. For several days after surgery, rinse with a glass of warm water mixed with one teaspoon of salt five times a day.
Brush and floss as usual.
It is important to maintain good nutrition following surgery. Eat a soft diet the day of surgery.
If swelling and discomfort worsens after the 2nd day following surgery or a foul taste, fever or difficulty swallowing develop contact us immediately.

The gums around the prepared tooth may be sore for a few days after the appointment. Take an over the counter pain medicine as needed.
The temporary crown is made of plastic. It can be broken or removed if you are not careful. Please avoid gum, hard or sticky foods.
Brush the temporary crown like any other tooth, but do not floss as the floss can remove the temporary crown.
If the temporary crown should break or come off, the tooth may be sensitive to cold, but will not give you a toothache. Please call our office for an appointment to have it recemented or remade within a few days so that the prepared tooth will not drift and cause problems for the permanent crown.

New fillings may be sensitive to cold, but should get better over the next few months.
You may drink something (hot or cold) anytime after the filling.
Avoid eating on amalgam (silver) restorations for one hour after placement and avoid eating excessively hard foods for at least 12 hours after placement.
If it feels like the tooth with the filling hits before the other teeth when closing, call for an appointment to have it adjusted.

It is normal after an endodontic (root canal) appointment for the tooth treated to be sore and have mild pain for several days.
Take pain medication as prescribed.
The tooth should become more comfortable over the next several days after the appointment.
A long lasting anesthesia may have been used, so tissues may stay numb for up to 8 hours.
If pain is not controlled by the prescribed pain medication, or if you develop fever or significant swelling, please call our office immediately.
The tooth with the root canal will be weaker than normal until a crown or final filling is placed in it. Do not chew anything but soft foods in that area of the mouth during this time to minimize the danger of fracturing the tooth.