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Aftercare

Expert dental post treatment advice

We hope to have always covered all post-operative advice at the time of treatment but to be on the safe side, and to support you, here you’ll find details of the expert advice our clinicians can offer you and your family for the aftercare of your dental and orthodontic treatment.

Filling

If you have had a local anaesthetic, it can take time to wear off. Your mouth, gums, and tongue will feel numb for a few hours after your filling. You may have difficulty talking, chewing and drinking. It’s also very normal to experience ‘pins & needles’ as the area begins to regain feeling.

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Filling

If you have had a local anaesthetic, it can take time to wear off. Your mouth, gums, and tongue will feel numb for a few hours after your filling. You may have difficulty talking, chewing and drinking. It’s also very normal to experience ‘pins & needles’ as the area begins to regain feeling. 

For a few days to a week after the filling is placed the tooth may be more sensitive than usual. Tell us if symptoms persist or worsen for more than a few days as this can indicate changes within the nerve of your tooth that may require further assessment.

We make every effort to ensure the filling is placed at the right height but it can be tricky while patients are numb. If your tooth feels too large, your teeth on the opposite side are not touching or if your tooth feels slightly bruised – give us a call and pop back in, free of charge, to have the filling adjusted to a more comfortable height.

Root Canal

Teeth can feel sensitive for the first few days after root canal treatment, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This sensitivity or discomfort can usually be controlled with over-the-counter pain medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (use according to dosage instructions).

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Root Canal

Teeth can feel sensitive for the first few days after root canal treatment, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This sensitivity or discomfort can usually be controlled with over-the-counter pain medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (use according to dosage instructions).

We recommend minimising chewing on the tooth until it has been fully restored with the permanent filling and/or crown. This step will help to avoid re-contamination of the nerve canal and may also prevent a now fragile tooth from breaking.

It’s perfectly normal for the tooth to feel ‘odd’ or ‘different’ from the others after a root canal treatment. The hollow feeling is because the inner nervous system of the tooth has been removed. If you experience any pain, swelling or inflammation after root canal treatment you will need to revisit us as soon as you can.

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Crown, Bridge and Veneer

It’s usual for new restorations to feel slightly strange, a bit large, rough and possibly a bit sensitive but this will usually settle in two or three days. A little soreness around the gum is also very common but careful and thorough brushing will allow the gum to recover to a healthy, pink condition.

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Crown, Bridge and Veneer

It’s usual for new restorations to feel slightly strange, a bit large, rough and possibly a bit sensitive but this will usually settle in two or three days. A little soreness around the gum is also very common but careful and thorough brushing will allow the gum to recover to a healthy, pink condition.

Bridges can feel slightly strange on your soft tissues because the gap that was present is now filled but they adapt and adjust really fast and this soon passes.

Occasionally, the new teeth might feel a little high when you bite together, if this is the case, give us a call and pop in for an adjustment, free of charge.

Extraction

We will ensure all bleeding has stopped and that a clot has formed nicely before we discharge you. However, any further bleeding that occurs should normally stop within 15 minutes of the procedure. After a tooth has been removed it is normal for the extraction area to be sore for a few days.

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Extraction

We will ensure all bleeding has stopped and that a clot has formed nicely before we discharge you. However, any further bleeding that occurs should normally stop within 15 minutes of the procedure. After a tooth has been removed it is normal for the extraction area to be sore for a few days.

This discomfort can be alleviated by over-the-counter pain medicine such as ibuprofen or paracetamol (use according to dosage instructions). We will give you gauze packs to take away with you. Should the bleeding restart place a clean pack over the socket and hold it by biting firmly onto it. Stay biting for 10-15 minutes. Replace the gauze as you need to, be mindful that a small amount of blood mixed with saliva can look like you’re bleeding more than you might be.

Ensure the bleeding has stopped before you remove the gauze. If the blood is very dark and fills gauze after gauze please give us a call and we will see you right away.

Your local anaesthetic can take time to wear off, so your mouth, gums and tongue will feel numb for a few hours after your extraction. You may have difficulty talking, chewing and drinking. You may also experience ‘pins & needles’ as the area regains feeling. It is advised to eat soft foods, only once the feeling has returned. Avoid ‘bitty’ food like crisps, rice and nuts etc. as you want to avoid any food fragments getting trapped in the clot/socket.

You must not smoke for a minimum of 24hrs post-extraction and you must not suck a drink through a straw.

You must not rinse vigorously for 24hrs as you do not want to disturb the clot that has filled and formed into the socket.

If your postoperative aftercare instructions are rigorously followed, healing will take a week to 10 days. It’s normal during this time for there to be a bad taste and possibly bad breath.

Very occasionally, white fragments of bone may be lost from the socket but this is no cause for alarm. If you have any concerns that the socket is not healing properly or you think it may be infected, please don’t hesitate to contact us for advice.

Teeth Whitening

It’s likely you’ll experience some sensitivity to hot & cold food and drink but this rapidly improves when the treatment has finished.  Desensitising toothpaste and serums can be very effective at minimising discomfort and may be included in your teeth whitening protocol.

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Teeth Whitening

It’s likely you’ll experience some sensitivity to hot & cold food and drink but this rapidly improves when the treatment has finished.  Desensitising toothpaste and serums can be very effective at minimising discomfort and may be included in your teeth whitening protocol.

Occasionally, whitening gel can cause temporary soreness around the gums. This can be minimised by:

1. Ensure your trays are not overloaded
2. Remove any excess gel from your gum line with a dry cotton bud
3. Dilute any residue gel with a wet cotton bud along the scallops of the tray

Instructions for use:

  • Dispense small amount of gel into each tooth section of the tray (half grain of rice size),
  • Place into mouth and smooth over teeth to ensure even distribution of gel.
  • Remove any excess gel with damp cotton bud to avoid gingival irritation.
  • Leave over night or for a minimum of 2 hours.
  • Remove and rinse with water.
  • Brush teeth as normal.
  • Clean trays with a spare soft bristle toothbrush and COLD water (do not use toothpaste as this is abrasive and will scratch the trays and make them uncomfortable to wear.)

Repeat nightly for two weeks.

The colour improvement can be maintained with good oral hygiene and avoiding highly coloured food & drink. Smoking will cause the teeth to rapidly darken again. The good news is that by ‘topping-up’ your at-home whitening occasionally will soon restore the desired post-treatment colour.

Dental Implant

For the first 2 weeks after having a dental implant fitted, you must rinse the area with antiseptic mouthwash (which we will provide you with) morning and night for 1 minute. You’ll also need to rinse your mouth with warm salt water after every meal.

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Dental Implant

For the first 2 weeks after having a dental implant fitted, you must rinse the area with antiseptic mouthwash (which we will provide you with) morning and night for 1 minute. You’ll also need to rinse your mouth with warm salt water after every meal.

It’s vital that you do not brush your dental implant until you’ve had your stitches removed. You can brush your other teeth gently, avoiding the implant site as best you can.

After 2 weeks, with the removal of the stitches, you can brush the implant with antiseptic gel and a soft brush. All cleaning devices used on your implant must be plastic, as metal may scratch the surface of the implant.

For the first week after having your implants fitted, we recommend that you eat only soft foods. We can give a diet sheet to ensure you’re eating soft but nutritious foods. You want to avoid anything that might get stuck in your teeth like seeds or popcorn. If these get into the implant site, it could cause an infection. Once your implant is fully healed, you’ll be able to eat all your favourite foods again and treat it as a normal tooth.

It’s normal for you to have some pain, swelling and bruising after implant surgery. This can be reduced with the help of over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (use according to dosage instructions). It’s also possible for the area may bleed; this is nothing to worry about. If the bleeding cannot be stopped with light pressure, contact us as soon as possible.

After your implant has been fitted, we will arrange a series of implant review appointments to ensure the procedure has gone as planned and that the implant remains healthy and well looked after.

If you have any concerns or you think you might have an infection in the implant site, you should always contact us as soon as you can.

If you’re a smoker,  we will have advised you to give up before you have your implant fitted. Research has shown that the rate of implant failure is much higher for those who smoke than for those who don’t1.

Once your implant is healed, it’s important to follow the aftercare advice provided by your clinician and keep up with impeccable oral health to ensure you get the maximum longevity from your dental implant. You should make sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly. We recommended you see the hygienist frequently to learn how to maintain great oral hygiene around your implant and to have a thorough scale and polish.

1 Kasat, V., & Ladda, R. (2012). Smoking and dental implants. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry, 2(2), 38-41.