Aftercare Instructions
Commerce Dental Group provides aftercare instructions as a helpful guide on what to expect and measures to take following dental procedures.
Root Canal Aftercare
In most cases, a root canal procedure removes enough tooth material that a dental crown is needed to restore your tooth. Fillings can work in milder cases, but only for your front teeth. A filling cannot withstand enough pressure to hold together a molar that has undergone a root canal.
Once you have your permanent restoration, you should take care of your tooth just like all your others. Though a crown or filling will provide your tooth with superior strength & structural support, rigorous oral hygiene is still necessary to ensure a root canal’s success. Proper home care is the difference between a future full of root canals & a lifetime of healthy teeth.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare
The most important part of tooth removal is the aftercare. Whether you have a simple or surgical extraction, you need to carefully follow your dentist’s or oral surgeon’s directions. Failing to properly care for the tooth socket makes it much more difficult to heal.
After you have a tooth removed, the empty socket eventually fills with a blood clot. Like a scab, a blood clot helps stop the bleeding. This is the beginning of the healing process, so your job is to make sure that nothing happens to that blood clot. Do not touch it!
For about three days after the extraction, you also need to avoid smoking, drinking out of straws, spitting or blowing your nose. All of these things create a level of pressure that can dislodge the blood clot & open the socket. If this happens, you will get what is known as a dry socket. Dry sockets are painful & require intervention. Please call us right away if you get one.
If you follow your instructions & avoid a dry socket, most of the major healing takes place within one or two weeks of the appointment.
After having a tooth removed, you may notice changes in your jaw. With a newly opened space, your teeth & jawbone can shift. Losing a tooth can have a major impact on your dental health & quality of life. If you want to prevent this, you can fill that space with a dental bridge or a dental implant. Contact us if you want to know more about your options for replacing a missing tooth.
Inlays & Onlays Aftercare
Once an inlay or onlay has been placed on the tooth, maintenance is simple. They must be cared for like a normal tooth: Brush twice a day, floss once & maintain a healthy diet. Most inlays & onlays last many years with proper care. If you have any questions or concerns about how best to maintain your inlays, make sure to speak with your dentist & they will be happy to explain.
Dentures Aftercare
Caring for your dentures is incredibly important — just as important as caring for natural teeth. Both full & partial dentures are removable & it is not recommended that they be worn at night. This gives your gums a chance to rest & allows your saliva to naturally lubricate your gums & the rest of your mouth. Dentures need to be cleaned overnight using special denture toothpaste & a soft-bristled toothbrush or denture brush. Be careful when cleaning not to drop your dentures on a hard surface; this is a frequent cause of denture breakage. We recommend laying out a towel or filling the sink basin with water while you clean your dentures. Dentures should be soaked overnight in a denture solution to keep them moist as drying out may cause brittleness.
Zoom Teeth Whitening Aftercare
For 48 hours after treatment, avoid consuming dark staining substances, such as berries, ketchup, red sauces, tobacco products, coffee, mustard, soy sauce, cola, red wine & tea. You should also avoid using colored toothpastes, gels or mouthwash, home fluoride treatment, Peridex & Chlorhexidine during this time.
Some patients experience sensitivity, such as “zingers” or thermal sensitivity 12–24 hours after Zoom! whitening. If you experience this, use the Relief ACP gel we provide on the problem area. After you receive your customized take-home trays, you will be able to place the relief gel in the trays & set the trays over your teeth to treat sensitivity.
You can also ease pain from sensitivity by taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as Advil, Motrin or Tylenol. Brushing your teeth with Sensodyne or other sensitivity toothpaste helps as well. If your sensitivity persists, we offer in-office fluoride treatments that help to reduce sensitivity.
If your teeth are not too sensitive, you can bleach your teeth a few more times with the take-home products in the three to five days after your office visit to maximize your results & attain the whitest shade possible. Store any remaining whitening gel in a cool, dry place for later use, but there is no need to refrigerate.
You can touch up as often as you like, although patients with more staining-related habits (such as tobacco or coffee) may want to touch up more frequently. You can also maintain your pearly whites by avoiding staining-related habits, visiting your dentist regularly for cleanings & practicing good oral hygiene through cleaning your tongue, brushing & flossing.