- Phone: 02 6495 6455
- Address: 53 Toallo St Pambula NSW 2549
Post-operative care is important after dental surgery and recovery may be delayed if this care is neglected. Some swelling, stiffness and discomfort is expected after dental surgery. Outlined below is Pambula Village Dental Practice’s post-operative advice but PLEASE contact us immediately if you are experiencing severe pain or if mild symptoms persist for more than two weeks.
After your restoration has been completed, your mouth may be numb for an hour or two, or sometimes even longer. Avoid eating until the numbness has worn off so you don't bite your lip or cheek or tongue.
Your restoration will be fully set and eating can resume once the numbness has gone.
Initially, the tooth itself may be sensitive to hot or cold food or drink or air. It may also be sore to bite on or even ache. If necessary, take a Panadol or similar analgesic. All these symptoms usually settle very quickly.
Normal brushing and flossing of teeth after the placement of your veneers is important to prevent oral health problems. Do not be afraid that you will damage your veneers by either flossing or brushing. Any non-abrasive toothpaste is acceptable. A good home care regimen will insure the aesthetic success of your veneers for years to come.
Some sensitivity to hot and cold may be experienced after the placement of your veneers. This relates to the amount of enamel left on your tooth after preparation, how close the preparation was to the nerve, as well as several other factors. Some sensitivity is absolutely normal and usually goes away after 1 to 2 weeks. If this sensitivity remains or concerns you at all, please contact us.
A normal diet should pose no problem at all, however, please avoid anything that will tend to bend or twist your veneers.
If you are known to be a grinder or clencher, please inform your dentist at the time. He/she will evaluate the need for a night guard (splint) that you can wear over your teeth to minimise the stresses placed upon them while you sleep.
Approximately 1 week after the placement of your veneers you will be asked to return to Pambula Village Dental Practice for a treatment evaluation. This visit is extremely important. It gives us the opportunity to evaluate the placement of the veneers, the tissue response and to answer any questions you might have regarding your new smile.
Porcelain Laminate Veneers are placed to assist you in reaching your aesthetic goals. With proper home care and scheduled evaluation visits, they will provide you with a beautiful smile for years to come.
The home care needed for dental implants is probably more important than that required for your normal teeth. There are many areas around the implant and the restoration that need special attention to make sure that dental plaque does not accumulate. Dental plaque, the sticky substance that adheres to teeth and is a breeding area for bacteria, must be removed at least every 12 hours to avoid potential periodontal (peri-implant) disease.
Plaque and calculus (hardened plaque, tartar) must be removed on a regularly scheduled basis by your dentist and meticulous oral hygiene must be maintained between your scheduled dental visits.
Home plaque control is a critical component of your implant care. The following devices have proved extremely helpful in plaque removal and as tools in the proper maintenance of dental implant/restorations:
Please ask us for individual instruction sheets on the above mentioned cleaning aids. We are available to assist you in any way we can. Remember, it’s not the product that counts, but the technique you use.
Pambula Village Dental Practice will suggest a suitable re-care schedule for you, based upon the complexity of your dental restoration. We will provide a demonstration of each and every technique so that you can become familiar with the tools that are required for implant care. With a little effort, your dental implant restoration can provide you with years of comfort, satisfaction and service.
Some amount of post-operative discomfort is expected after a treatment visit. If a throbbing sensation occurs please keep your head elevated as much as possible and place extra pillows under your head when lying down. Avoid any strenuous activity as much as possible.
If you have been prescribed antibiotic or pain medication, please take it as indicated until you have finished ALL of the medication. If you encounter any difficulty breathing, develop a skin rash or gastric disturbance, please discontinue the medication and contact us immediately.
Please be aware that narcotic medications such as Codeine, Vicodin, Percodan and Demerol may make you drowsy. Caution should be exercised if driving a car or operating any potentially dangerous machinery.
Remember, Root Canal Therapy involves 2-3 appointments. Usually symptoms are relieved after the first visit, however, it is vital to the long term prognosis of the tooth that the treatment be completed with the filling of the root canals.
After you have had a tooth extracted, you should take it easy for the rest of the day. Do as little exercise as possible and rest as much as you can, keeping your head up to avoid any bleeding. Try to keep your head higher for the first night, using an extra pillow if possible. Using an old pillowcase or placing a towel on the pillow is advisable, in case you bleed a little.
Be sure to avoid hot food or drinks until the anaesthetic wears off, as you cannot feel pain properly and may burn or scald your mouth. Also, as you will feel some numbness around the extraction site, be careful not to chew your cheek.
Eat regular meals as soon as you are able after the extraction but avoid chewing on that area of your mouth or letting your tongue disturb it. This can cause an infection and affect healing. Avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours, as this can encourage bleeding and delay healing. It is important to drink lots of fluids but do not rinse the area for the first 24 hours, as it is important to allow your gum to heal.
Avoid smoking for at least 12 hours, as it can disrupt the formation of the blood clot and interfere with healing.
Avoid brushing your teeth for the first 8 hours after the extraction. Brushing your teeth is just as important, if not more so, to keep your mouth clean after an extraction. However, leave enough time to let the blood clot form and be very careful around the extraction site.
Expect some slight bleeding for the first day or so. If you do notice bleeding, do not rinse out, but apply pressure to the extraction site by biting firmly on a folded piece of clean cotton material, such as a handkerchief, for 20-30 minutes and keep replacing if necessary. If the bleeding has not stopped after an hour or two, please call us.
Do not rinse for the first 24 hours, as this will help your mouth to start healing. After this time you may use a salt-water mouthwash, a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, and very gently swish it around the extraction site twice a day to help clean and heal the area.
There will usually be some tenderness in the area for the first few days. What you would normally take for a headache should be enough to ease the discomfort. However, always follow the manufacturer's instructions and if in doubt check with your doctor first. Do not take aspirin, as this will make your mouth bleed.
If it has been a particularly difficult extraction, Pambula Village Dental Practice may give you a follow-up appointment. This could be to remove any stitches that were needed, or simply to check the area is healing well.
If you experience any extreme pain or discomfort or something just doesn't seem right, please call us immediately.
To BOOK your appointment, please call our friendly team on 02 6495 6455 who will discuss your needs and make a suitable time for your treatment.
Alternatively, you can send us an email and we will contact you.