Your Journey to Achieving Optimal Oral Health is well supported by our Experienced Team.
Once your procedure is complete, we focus on providing step-by-step Dental Care After Treatment guidelines tailored to each procedure.
For any treatments that are not listed here, the aftercare instructions are contained directly in the treatment page.
BRACES- POST OP INSTRUCTIONS
After your braces have been placed, it is important to follow proper Dental Care After Treatment to keep your teeth healthy and ensure your braces function correctly throughout the treatment period.
1. Immediately after your procedure, use your finger and tongue to check for wire ends that may poke or irritate your mouth.
2. We provide orthodontic wax to place around wires or brackets to reduce irritation.
3. Your mouth and teeth may feel sore for up to a week. To relieve discomfort, rinse with cold water, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, or apply a topical numbing gel.
4. During the first few days, eat only soft foods until you adjust to your new braces. Throughout your orthodontic treatment, avoid hard, chewy, or sticky foods to prevent bracket damage.
5. Do not chew hard objects such as ice cubes or pencils, as they can damage your braces.
6. Daily home care plays a crucial role in keeping your teeth healthy during orthodontic treatment. Brush and floss after every meal, paying extra attention to cleaning around your braces to remove food particles and prevent plaque buildup and decay.
7. We recommend the right toothbrush and demonstrate any special cleaning aids you need for effective home care.
8. If you play contact sports, speak with us about protective measures such as wearing a mouth guard to safeguard your teeth and braces.
9. At any point during treatment, contact us immediately if you experience severe pain, a loose bracket or band, or a broken wire.
Extraction & Impaction
Post-Operative Instructions to Support Dental Care After Treatment
Dental Care After Treatment is essential to ensure proper healing and prevent complications after your procedure.
DO NOT DISTURB THE AREA: During the first few days, especially the first 24 hours, let your body form a stable blood clot and start the natural healing process. Therefore, avoid swishing, using a straw, or smoking, as these actions can dislodge the clot. Also, keep sharp objects and crunchy foods away from the wound, and chew on the opposite side for the first 24 hours.
BLEEDING: When you leave the clinic, bite gently on a gauze pad to control bleeding. Keep pressure on the gauze for at least 30 minutes without changing it. Even if you notice slight blood in your saliva, this is normal and may continue throughout the day.
SMOKING: Stop smoking immediately after surgery. Cigarette chemicals slow healing and reduce surgical success. Additionally, the suction from smoking can dislodge the clot and increase the risk of painful dry socket.
PAIN: Mild discomfort is normal. Take prescribed pain medication exactly as instructed and avoid exceeding the recommended dose. Take your medication with food or milk to prevent stomach upset. Moreover, avoid alcohol, driving, or operating machinery while on pain medication.
NAUSEA: Nausea often occurs if you take pain medication on an empty stomach. Therefore, eat soft food before taking your medication and drink plenty of water.
SWELLING: Apply an ice pack to the operated area for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off during the first day. This routine helps reduce swelling effectively.
NUMBNESS: Local anesthesia may cause numbness for several hours. Avoid biting, chewing, or scratching the area. In rare cases, mild numbness or tingling may persist for several weeks.
BRUSHING: Avoid brushing for the first 8 hours. After that, brush gently, but skip the surgical area for the first 3 days to protect the wound.
RINSING: Do not rinse or swish for the first 24 hours. After that period, rinse gently with warm salt water (½ teaspoon of salt in one glass of lukewarm water) to promote healing.
DIET: Eat soft foods for the first two days. In addition, maintain a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and avoid alcohol for 48 hours.
ACTIVITY: Rest after leaving the clinic and avoid strenuous activity for the rest of the day. Keeping calm and limiting movement reduces bleeding and supports faster healing.
ANTIBIOTICS: Take all prescribed antibiotics as directed. Also, women should note that some antibiotics may reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills, so use alternate methods for two months.
FILLING - POST OP INSTRUCTIONS
Proper after-treatment dental care plays a key role as your mouth adjusts following dental procedures. Initially, it may take a few days to get used to the feel of your new bite. As your bite changes or your teeth shift position, your brain needs time to adapt to the new alignment or thickness of your teeth. Therefore, this adjustment period is completely normal during post-procedure oral care.
If you notice any high spots or discomfort while biting, contact us immediately so we can schedule a bite adjustment. Additionally, temporary sensitivity to hot or cold after a filling is common because your teeth need time to recover after dental treatment. You may also experience mild soreness in the gum tissue around the treated area, but it usually resolves within a few days. Finally, rinsing gently with warm salt water can help relieve discomfort and promote faster healing after your dental procedure.
Taking Care of Your Teeth
- Daily brushing and flossing are a must. Consistent plaque removal is critical for the long-term success of your new restoration as are regular professional cleaning appointments.
- Any food that can crack, chip, or damage a natural tooth can do the same to your new filling. Do not bite into hard foods such as hard nuts, peanut brittle, ice, apples, frozen candy bars, sticky caramel, or anything else that can put undue pressure on your teeth.
- Never use your teeth as tools! Teeth are not meant to open frozen vegetable bags, pull on strings, or hold objects. Also, no biting on fingernails, chewing pencils, or doing anything else that could cause pressure or trauma to your teeth.
- While refraining from coffee, red wine, tea, and berries isn’t realistic for most people, these things will stain your teeth, as will tobacco. Use a straw as much as possible for liquids, and always brush, floss, and rinse your teeth with a whitening mouthwash as soon as possible after consuming drinks and foods that stain.
IMPLANT SURGERY – POST OP INSTRUCTIONS
Do not rinse or spit for the first 24 hours after surgery to protect the surgical site.
Keep your fingers and tongue away from the socket or surgical area to avoid irritation or infection.
Use ice packs on the side of your face over the surgical area during the first 48 hours. Apply ice for 20 minutes, then remove for 10 minutes, and repeat as needed to reduce swelling.
Take prescribed pain medication as directed by your dentist to manage severe discomfort.
Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid using a straw, since the suction can dislodge the clot and cause complications.
Stop smoking completely for at least 5 days after surgery, as smoking slows healing and increases risks.
Avoid strenuous activity and refrain from exercise for at least 3–4 days after surgery. After this period, proceed with caution, as reduced caloric and fluid intake may make you feel light-headed, dizzy, or weak.
Eat soft foods for the first few days and gradually return to your normal diet to prevent irritation or damage to the surgical area.
Keep the surgical area clean by gently brushing your teeth, avoiding the extraction site for the first 2–3 days.
Monitor for unusual symptoms such as excessive bleeding, severe pain, or signs of infection, and contact your dentist immediately if any occur.
PERIODONTAL FLAP SURGERY- POST OP INSTRUCTIONS
BRUSHING / FLOSSING
- Do not brush the gum line of the treated areas.
- Brush only the chewing surfaces (tops) of the treated teeth for 1 week.
- Do not floss the treated teeth for 1 week.
- Brush and floss the areas after a week normally.
EATING
- Avoid hot temperature food/drinks the day of the surgery (coffee, tea, soup).
- Soft foods will be desired for the first few days.
- Avoid crunchy, salty, spicy foods for 1 week as they will irritate the treated areas.
- Avoid drinking with a straw for 3 days as it can create bleeding.
CHEWING
- Do not chew with teeth that have been treated (chew on the other side of the mouth) for 1 week.
- If both sides of the mouth have been treated, chew lightly.
DISCOMFORT
- Once the numbness wears off, you may experience discomfort.
- The treated area could remain tender up to one week.
- “Delayed discomfort” is possible. This means that you may feel little to no discomfort the 1st week but do experience some the 2nd week.
- A cold pack can be gently placed on the outside of the cheek for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 4 hours. This is most effective the first 24 to 72 hours following the surgery.
BLEEDING
It is normal to experience slight bleeding for the first 2-3 days.
SUTURES
Sutures (stitches) will be placed, should be removed after 7 days. Do NOT attempt to pull or remove the sutures.
EXERCISING
Avoid exercising or heavy lifting for 2 days.
SMOKING
It is best not to smoke during the 1st week following the surgery as it will delay the healing process.
PRESCRIPTION MOUTH RINSE
Rinse twice daily (after breakfast and before bedtime) for 1 week.
MEDICATION
Take as directed until gone.
1 WEEK FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENT
- An appointment will be scheduled for you to return 7-10 days following the surgery to evaluate the treated areas for healing and suture removal.
- At this time, your next follow-up appointment will be determined.
ROOT CANAL THERAPY – POST OP INSTRUCTIONS
- Root canal therapy can take 1-2 appointments to complete. After each appointment when anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours. Avoid any chewing on the side of the treated tooth until the numbness has completely worn off.
- A temporary filling is placed by your root canal specialist to protect the tooth between appointments.
- Between appointments, it’s common for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear off.
- To protect the tooth and help keep your temporary in place:
- Avoid chewing sticky foods.
- Avoid biting hard foods and hard substances.
- If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.
- It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal therapy appointment, especially chewing. It is not uncommon for a tooth to be uncomfortable or even exhibit a dull ache immediately after receiving root canal therapy. This should subside within a few days (or even weeks).
- Root canal therapy can take 1-2 appointments to complete. After each appointment when anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours. Avoid any chewing on the side of the treated tooth until the numbness has completely worn off.
- A temporary filling is placed by your root canal specialist to protect the tooth between appointments.
- Between appointments, it’s common for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear off.
- To protect the tooth and help keep your temporary in place:
- Avoid chewing sticky foods.
- Avoid biting hard foods and hard substances.
- If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.
- It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal therapy appointment, especially chewing. It is not uncommon for a tooth to be uncomfortable or even exhibit a dull ache immediately after receiving root canal therapy. This should subside within a few days (or even weeks).
SCALING AND CURETTAGE -POST OP INSTRUCTIONS
Scaling and Root Planing therapy removes bacterial plaque and tartar from the root surfaces below the gum line. As a result, this process reduces inflammation and infection, allowing the gums to re-attach firmly to the root surfaces. Additionally, reducing the depth of periodontal pockets makes flossing and brushing more effective, promoting better oral hygiene and long-term gum health.
FOR THE FIRST 24 HOURS:
- Do not eat or drink hot foods until the effect of anesthetic wears off.
- No vigorous physical exercise.
- Do not smoke or consume alcoholic beverages for at least 48 hours.
- Do not eat food that is extreme in temperature or spicy.
THINGS TO DO:
- Consume a soft diet for a day or two and chew on of opposite side of the treated area.
- Rinse with a warm salt water rinse, one teaspoon in 1 glass of water, three times a day.
- Gently brush and floss the treated area for a few days. Then resume normal brushing in a week or until the soreness is gone.
- Rinse with Chlorhexidine rinse if prescribed, for at least 30 seconds twice daily for 2 weeks.
- As the gums heal they will appear to be pink, less swollen, and will bleed less when you floss.
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