AFTER YOUR RESTORATIVE DENTAL TREATMENT
Congratulations! Now that you have completed your dental treatment, it is important for you to protect it!
These instructions are provided for you to create a more comfortable experience after your visit and to give you a few pointers for protecting your new restoration and your smile. Please note the following:
If you had local anesthesia, the numbness will likely last for 2-4 hours. To avoid injury to your tongue and lips you should avoid chewing until the numbness wears off completely.
It’s normal to experience some sensitivity to heat, cold and pressure after your appointment. This sensitivity should go away after a few days or weeks but may persist longer. If you continue to experience sensitivity a few weeks after your restorative treatment, please contact our office for evaluation.
You can expect some soreness in your gums for several days. Rinsing with warm salt water can alleviate discomfort and swelling in the gums (one teaspoon of salt per one cup of warm water).
SORENESS: Keeping your mouth open during your appointment may cause your jaw to be sore for a few weeks after the treatment. Taking an analgesic, such as, Advil or Motrin before the numbness wears off may help increase your comfort. Follow instructions on the package.
ADJUSTMENT TIME: It may take a few days to get used to your new restoration. If your bite continues to feel unbalanced or if you feel your new restoration touches first, please call our office right away for a simple adjustment. Do not delay as an uneven bite will not self-correct and may cause your tooth to become very sore.
CHEWING PRECAUTIONS:
White fillings are fully hardened immediately after placement so you can chew as you would normally as soon as the numbness subsides.
Crowns, onlays, inlays, and other “cemented” restorations, you should avoid chewing directly on your new restoration for the first 24 hours as cement continues to set during this time.
SENSITIVITY: Rarely, because of the nature of the materials used, the resin filling or cement material may fail to polymerize correctly. This may cause your tooth to become sensitive to chewing or flossing. If you experience prolonged sensitivity, please call our office for evaluation.
HOT AND COLD LINGERING OR PROLONGED SENSITIVITY: Sometimes decay or tooth fractures may cause trauma and irreversible damage to the nerve of the tooth leading to eventual nerve necrosis (nerve death). When this happens, additional treatment (Root Canal Therapy) is required. Should you experience lingering sensitivity to cold or hot, spontaneous pain that occurs anytime, severe pain to chewing, or swelling call our office at once.
RESTORATION LOSS: Occasionally, an otherwise sound crown, onlay, or other cemented or bonded restoration may come off due to chewing forces. If this happens, it may be possible to re-cement or re-bond it. If your restoration ever becomes loose or comes off, please call our office at once. Delaying may cause teeth to shift and require a new restoration.
DURABILITY PRECAUTIONS: Although the restoration placed today is quite durable and expected to last, any restorative material, especially tooth-colored restorative materials such as resins and porcelains are susceptible to fracture. Anything that may chip or break your natural tooth will damage your new restoration. Chewing on very hard substances, such as, ice or hard candy, opening packages with your teeth, biting pens or nails and teeth clenching or grinding will cause microscopic fractures that will eventually cause your restoration or your natural teeth to chip or break. If you clench or grind your teeth at night, a Nightguard may be needed to assure optimum longevity.
FOLLOWUP CARE AND MAINTENANCE: Once teeth have been compromised by plaque, decay or fractures, their strength is diminished. Although a portion of your tooth is now covered by a restoration, the underlying tooth is still vulnerable to new decay, especially at the interface between the tooth and the new restoration(margin). Therefore, more treatment may be needed on the same tooth or your restoration may need to be replaced. This is why keeping up with proper maintenance, meticulous home care and regular dental visits is vital to protecting your new restoration and your oral health.
If you have any questions or experience a problem, please call us as soon as possible.