Homecare – Filling
How to care for your teeth after having a filling

To keep your mouth comfortable after having a filling, and to ensure that your filling sets properly, follow the tips below.

• If we used anesthetic, your lips, teeth, and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid chewing anything until the numbness has completely worn off.

• It’s normal to experience some hot, cold, and pressure sensitivity after your appointment.

• Your gums may be sore for several days. Rinse three times a day with warm salt water (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) to reduce pain and swelling.

• Don’t chew hard foods—and don’t chew directly on new silver fillings— for twenty-four hours following the appointment. If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth. You may chew right away on white fillings, because they set completely on the day of the appointment.

• If your bite feelsuneven,
if you have persistent pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office.

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Homecare – Extractions

Instructions for homecare following a tooth extraction
Instructions for homecare following a tooth extraction
• The initial healing period usually takes one to two weeks, and you'll likely experience some swelling for the first 48 hours.

• Before the procedure began, you were given an anesthetic to ensure your comfort. This anesthetic typically leaves your lips, teeth and tongue feeling numb after the appointment. For this reason, you should avoid chewing for 2 hours following surgery, or until the numbness has completely worn off.

• Some discomfort after the extraction is normal. An over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, is usually sufficient. We can also give you a prescription for a stronger pain reliever if needed. o To avoid nausea, do not take pain medication on an empty stomach.

• You can also decrease pain and swelling by applying an ice pack - 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off - for the first 6 hours following the extraction.

• Ablood clot will form on the extraction site, and this clot is vital to the healing process. To keep the clot intact, avoid touching the extraction site with your tongue or fingers, do not drink liquids through a straw, and do not spit vigorously.

• Blowing your nose or sneezing violently can also dislodge the blood clot and impair healing, so if you have an upper respiratory infection or suffer from allergies, be sure to have the appropriate sinus medication on hand.

• Do not rinse your mouth the day of the surgery.

• Smokingand allowing food particles to pack into the tooth’s socket should be avoided, as both will significantly affect the healing process.

• Twenty-four hours following the procedure, you can rinse gently with mouthwash or a warm salt water solution (dissolve one teaspoon of salt with one cup of warm water); gently swish the solution around the affected area, and spit carefully. You should do this 2-3 times each day for the week following the extraction.

• If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

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Homecare – Perio Surgery
Homecare instructions following periodontal surgery

• Before your surgery, you were given an anesthetic to ensure your comfort. This anesthetic typically leaves your lips, teeth and tongue feeling numb after the appointment. For this reason, you should avoid any chewing for two hours following surgery, or until the numbness has worn off completely.

• Apply an ice pack - 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off - for 6 hours following surgery to decrease pain and swelling.

• Keep your fingers and tongue away from the parts of your gums that were affected by the surgery.

• Do not rinse your mouth the day of the surgery. Twenty-four hours after surgery, you can rinse gently with mouthwash or a warm salt water solution; dissolve one teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water, and gently swish, then carefully spit. Three times per day is sufficient.

• It's normal to experience some discomfort for a few days following surgery. To avoid nausea, don't take pain medication on an
empty stocach.

• If antibiotics were prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

• Relax as much as possible and avoid all strenuous activities for the first 24 hours following surgery.

• Once the numbness has worn off, you should eat. Nourishment is important to the healing process. Limit your diet to soft foods like
yogurt, soft soups, ice cream, or soft-cooked eggs for the first 48 hours.

• Drink at least 8 large glasses of water or fruit juice each day

• Keep your head elevated with pillows to control bleeding. We will give you a supply of gauze sponges to place over the bleeding area; change them as necessary, and use them until the bleeding stops completely. You can also bite gently but firmly on a moist tea bag for 20 minutes if bleeding continues.

• Call our office if bleeding persists or increases.

• Continue cleaning the other areas of your mouth, flossing daily and brushing at least twice a day as you would normally.

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