Post Visit Home Care Instructions

Crowns

Once you have the final crown seated, we will use an extremely strong cement that should provide years of service. You may eat normally on the crowned tooth usually within 1 hour of final cementation.

You may experience a sensitivity to hot or cold. Call Alpha Dental immediately if you experience excessive pain or swelling in this area.

Over the counter pain relief medication is sometimes recommended by the doctor.

Once a crown is permanently cemented in place, a common misconception is that, “I can’t get a cavity because my tooth is crowned.” This is false. You may get a cavity around the area where the crown meets the tooth at the gum line whether you can see it or not. Therefore, as with any dental prosthesis it is imperative that good oral hygiene is practiced.

Extractions

Following a tooth extraction, we advise that you return home and rest. Bruising may be noticeable. There is no need to worry as this occurrence is normal.

Bite with firm pressure on the gauze for the first 20 – 30 minutes following the extraction. If bleeding has not ceased within 12 hours, bite on a wet tea bag for 10 – 20 minutes.

For the pain and swelling use an ice pack for 10 minutes, then off for 10 minutes. If pain increases after 72 hours, or if abnormal bleeding continues – call our office.

A condition called, “dry socket” could occur following an extraction. If this occurs call our office right away.

Implants

It is imperative that the implant be kept clean with regular brushing and flossing. Poor oral hygiene will result in failure of the implant and voiding any guarantees made throughout the process.

Always inform Alpha Dental if you have had a dental implant in the past. Tools used by the hygienists are metal, which can scratch the soft titanium that the implant is made of, resulting in an area that will collect plaque. This can cause long-term problems with the implant.

Other than the previous precautions, treat the implant as your own tooth. You will never have a cavity with an implant nor be in need of a root canal. It is truly the best you can do for a missing tooth (or teeth) and with care should supply you with a lifetime of service.

Root Canal

To lessen the pain or swelling following a root canal the use of ice is recommended. Approximately 15 minutes out of an hour as needed. We may also recommend an over the counter pain reliever.

Good daily oral hygiene is very important as even a tooth which has had a root canal can decay.

Eat soft foods and avoid chewing on the tooth which the root canal was just performed on.

Avoid bending and lifting heavy objects as this may cause throbbing or an aching feeling in your jaw.

Dental Sealants

Since no drilling or needles are involved in the application of sealants, there isn’t any pain following application. Following the application of your dental sealants, avoid chewing gum or other sticky forms of candy or food.

Good daily dental hygiene is the number one recommendation for follow-up care.

Whitening

With take home whitening kits, whitening will occur gradually over a period of 7-14 days, depending on amount of use and original shade of teeth.

Expect sensitivity to hot and cold during the treatment time. This will occur whether the whitening treatment is performed in our office or using a take home whitening kit.

Gums can become painful if the whitening material comes in contact with them. There is no way to avoid this entirely, therefore just try to limit this by not putting too much gel in your whitening trays. If pain becomes severe, pain medication may be prescribed. We may also recommend that you discontinue using the whitening material for 24-48 hours.

The active ingredient in the whitening gel is H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide). This is not an acid and will not damage the enamel of your teeth. You may even notice an improvement of your bleeding gums if you’re prone to periodontitis/gingivitis.

We will take the shade of 3 to 5 of your your anterior teeth at delivery of the whitening kit, and then 1-2 weeks later we’ll take your new shade to make sure you’re achieving the desired results! If not we will prescribe more whitening material. This could possibly be a stronger strength for longer contact duration, generally 30 minutes once to twice per day.