Implant
Post Op Instructions
After implant placement, a blood clot may form in the area. To prevent post-operative
inflammation and infection, it is important to keep this blood clot in place.
FOR THE FIRST 48 HOURS AFTER IMPLANT PLACEMENT:
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DO NOT vigorously rinse your mouth, as this may rinse away the blood clot.
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DO NOT use drinking straws.
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DO NOT smoke.
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DO NOT disturb the implant site or sutures with tongue or fingers.
BLEEDING
After implant placement, it is normal to ooze blood from the area for approximately 24 hours.
To minimize bleeding, do the following:
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Gently bite on damp gauze for 1 hour after implant.
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Repeat with fresh gauze every 20 minutes as needed.
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DO NOT lie flat. Elevate your head with a pillow.
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Limit strenuous activity for the first 2-3 days.
SWELLING
It is normal to have some swelling after implant placement. The swelling is greatest 2-3 days
after surgery, and may remain for an additional 3 days before it starts to resolve.
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Immediately after surgery, place ice packs over the area.
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Leave the pack on for 20 minutes and then off for 20 minutes for the rest of the day.
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After the first 24 hours, it is not necessary to continue cold packs.
POST-OPERATIVE DISCOMFORT
After implant placement, it is normal to experience some amount of discomfort when the anesthesia wears off. Taking prescribed medication as directed should control discomfort, but may not eliminate it.
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DO NOT operate a motor vehicle or machinery while taking pain medication. It can make you drowsy.
INFECTION
After surgical procedures, there is always a chance that infection might develop. This does not happen in most cases. A prescription may be written for you after a procedure that has a higher incidence of post-operative infection.
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Take all prescribed antibiotics until finished.
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Women taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills) are recommended to use other methods of contraception while taking antibiotics. Penicillin and penicillin-like medications temporarily decrease effectiveness of birth control pills.
SUTURES
Depending on the extent of the procedures, sutures (stitches) may be placed in order to help wound healing. If you have sutures, the doctor will inform you of this after the procedure.
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Sutures that dissolve should fall out in about 1-7 days.
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The non-dissolvable sutures need to be removed as early as 7 to 10 days. However, most are removed at 3 weeks.
BRUSHING
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Begin normal hygiene the night of surgery or the next day. Remember to brush lightly as you get closer to the area of surgery.
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DO NOT spit.
DIET SUGGESTIONS
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Soft, non-chewy foods are recommended for the first 48 hours after surgery, such as mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, or pasta.
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DO NOT eat popcorn, peanuts, seeds, or chips for at least 10 days after surgery to prevent an infection in the surgical site from impacted food debris.
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DO NOT rinse your mouth for the first 24 hours after surgery. After that, rinse gently with the oral rinse, if prescribed by your doctor, or with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in 8 ounces of warm water) 2-3 times a day for 1 week. Brush your teeth gently, but avoid the area of surgery for the first 24 hours.
WARNING SIGNS
If any of the following should occur, do not hesitate to contact us during regular office hours (850)231-3736
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Bleeding that cannot be controlled by firmly biting on a gauze for 60 minutes.
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Pain which is not controlled by the prescribed dose of medication. DO NOT take higher doses.
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Persistent nausea or vomiting.
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An increase in swelling after the first 72 hours, or swelling that interferes with swallowing.
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A very foul-tasting discharge that is unrelieved by normal oral hygiene.
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Fever greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
Opalescence Boost
Whitening Treatment
Post Op Instructions
Your teeth will continue to whiten for 24-48 hours after your treatment. During this time, avoid foods and beverages that could re-stain your teeth (dark foods and liquids that would stain a white shirt will also stain your teeth).
These include:
• Coffee
• Tea
• Dark sodas
• Red wine
• Tobacco
• Red sauces
• Soy sauce
• Dark berries
Avoid de-sensitizing products that contain stannous fluoride (Gel-Kam®, Omnii Gel™, PerioMed™, Plak Smackers®, Gingi Med™ and FluoriSHIELD®) for about two weeks. These can cause dark stains on your teeth.
Avoid smoking during and immediately after whitening treatments. Nicotine leaves brown deposits, which are difficult to remove.
Your ideal whitening shade may not be apparent after just one in-office treatment. It may take several visits to reach your optimum shade. In-office whitening treatments typically only cover the front 6-10 teeth. If you have a wide smile and show more than these front teeth, you may need to use additional at-home whitening treatments to ensure that all your teeth are the same shade. Touch-up treatments (in-office or custom trays) can be done every 6-12 months.
You may have sensitive white spots on your gums immediately after your in-office whitening treatment. These are temporary and should disappear after 20-30 minutes. If you experience painful burning on your gums while using the take home trays, you may spread a thin amount of petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) on your gums before you insert your trays.
It is important to continue brushing and flossing to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Use a soft bristle toothbrush and gentle pressure when brushing. Avoid “snapping” the floss on your gums; use a seesaw motion to ease the floss between your teeth.
Continue to see your dentist and dental hygienist for regular check-ups and cleanings.
Root Canal Care Instructions
A root canal procedure is usually done in two appointments, especially if it is done on a tooth with more than 2 roots. If this is the case, you have a temporary filling in place and must return for the permanent filling. As with any root canal procedure you will eventually need a permanent crown on this tooth, whether it is recommended immediately or in the future
It is important that you follow these instructions:
CHEWING: Avoid any chewing until your local anesthesia wears off! In other words, do not eat anything that requires you to chew until your mouth has totally recovered from the numbness. Also, avoid chewing on the treated tooth until the permanent restoration is placed in the tooth. (Especially hard foods such as ice or almonds.)
PAIN & SORENESS: It is normal for your tooth to be sore for 2-3 days after treatment; soreness can even increase on the second day. Tenderness when biting on the tooth can persist for up to two weeks following treatment but will gradually get better over time.
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Generally, over-the-counter pain medication is all that is needed for post-operative soreness.
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As long as you are not allergic or sensitive to the medication, we recommend the Ibuprofen: 600mg (three OTC 200mg tablets and 500mg Tylenol) every six hours. This medication has excellent anti-inflammatory properties.
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You can also take ibuprofen even if the tooth is not sore, to help prevent soreness in the next few days
ANTIBIOTICS: If antibiotics have been prescribed, it is important that you take them for the full length of time they are prescribed, unless your doctor has instructed you otherwise.
If you have persistent discomfort or swelling, please contact our office for further instructions.
Post Op Instructions for Extractions
DO NOT DISTURB THE AREA: For the next few days, and especially the first 24 hours, it is very important to allow your body to form a good clot and start the natural healing process. Swishing, sucking through a straw, and smoking can all dislodge the clot. Keep anything sharp from entering the wound (crunchy food, toothpicks, eating utensils). Be sure to chew on the opposite side for 24 hours.
BLEEDING: When you leave, you might be biting a gauze pad to control bleeding. Keep slight pressure on the pad for at least 30 minutes. Don't change it during this time; it needs to remain undisturbed while a clot forms in the extraction socket. After 30 minutes, you may remove it. You may bite on another gauze pad (damped with clean water) or a damped black tea bag for another 30 minutes if you feel it is still bleeding. Small amounts of blood in the saliva can make your saliva appear quite red. This is normal and may be noticed the rest of the day after the procedure.
SMOKING: Smoking should be stopped following surgery. Healing and success of the surgery will be substantially reduced by the cigarette smoke chemicals in your body. Also, suction created when inhaling can dislodge the clot. Smokers are at greater risk of developing a painful Dry Socket.
Dry socket is when the blood clot at the site of the tooth extraction fails to develop, or it dislodges or dissolves before the wound has healed.
PAIN: Some discomfort is normal after surgery. To minimize pain, take two Tylenol, Naproxen, Advil, or similar non-aspirin pain reliever every 3 to 4 hours until bedtime to maintain comfort. Take it before the anesthesia wears off. If prescription pain medication is prescribed, take it as prescribed and do not exceed the recommended dose. Taking medications with food or milk will help reduce upset stomach. Avoid driving or operating heavy machinery when taking pain prescriptions. Do not drink alcohol while taking prescription pain medications.
NAUSEA: This is most often caused by taking pain medications on an empty stomach. Reduce nausea by preceding each pain pill with soft food and taking the pill with a large glass of water.
SWELLING: An ice pack over the area will minimize swelling. On the day of extraction, apply an ice pack to your face in the area for 15 minutes then remove for 15 minutes. Wrap the icepack in a thin towel or tee shirt if it is too cold.
NUMBNESS: The local anesthetic will cause you to be numb for several hours after you leave the office. Be very careful not to bite, chew, pinch, or scratch the numb area. Sometimes the extraction causes residual numbness or tingling for six weeks or longer.
BRUSHING: Do not brush your teeth for the first 8 hours after surgery. After this, you may brush your teeth gently, but avoid the area of surgery for 3 days.
RINSING: Avoid all rinsing or swishing for 24 hours after extraction. Rinsing can disturb the formation of a healing blood clot which is essential to proper healing. This could cause bleeding and risk of dry socket. After 24 hours you may begin gentle rinsing with a saltwater solution (1/2 teaspoon salt + 8 ounces warm water). Avoid commercial mouth rinses.
DIET: Eat soft foods for the first two days. Maintain a good, balanced diet. Return to normal regular meals as soon as you are able after the first two days. Drink plenty of water. Avoid alcohol for 48 hours.
ACTIVITY: After leaving the office, rest and avoid strenuous activities for the remainder of the day. Keeping blood pressure lower will reduce bleeding and aid healing.
ANTIBIOTICS: If you were given an antibiotic prescription, take all of them as directed by your doctor. Women: some antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills. Use alternate birth control methods for two months.
SINUS: If your sinus was involved in the procedure, you should avoid blowing your nose or playing a wind musical instrument for one week. Use of decongestant medications might be recommended.
FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS: You may need to return to the office to have sutures removed or just for a brief follow-up healing check.
Please call your dentist if you have:
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• uncontrollable pain
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• excessive or severe bleeding
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• marked fever
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• excessive warm swelling occurring a few days after the procedure
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• reactions to medications, especially rash, itching, or breathing problems
Following these instructions very closely will greatly help your comfort and promote healing of the area. If any of these instructions are not followed, the success of the procedure may be affected, and you might have significantly more discomfort.