POST
OPERATIVE INFORMATION FOR VARIOUS PROCEDURES
Please refer to this page for
any information or questions you might have following your procedure.
Post Op information for
restorative procedures: Following a procedure to restore your
tooth - whether it be a filling, crown or bridge - you should realize that
there is a certain amount of trauma/irritation that your nerve may
encounter. This is usually a factor of the amount of decay and the
size of the previous filling material. If you started with a cold
sensitive tooth, post operative sensitivity may be more common.
Following restoration of your tooth/teeth, you may experience some of the
following:
- Thermal sensitivity either
cold and/or hot. This is not of much concern if the sensitivity
only last for a few seconds.
- Biting sensitivity.
The most common cause of this is when the bite is a bit high.
Sometimes it can be hard to duplicate the correct bite when you are
still anaesthetized.
- Jaw pain and
headaches. This is usually a sign that the bite is high and you
are grinding/clenching on the new restoration(s)
- Prolonged thermal
sensitivity and/or throbbing pain. This may be a sign that the
insult to the nerve was more than it could endure.
After a procedure, if you
feel that the bite is not correct, we ask that you let us know
within a week. If you ignore this sign, then you risk further
trauma to your tooth as well as possible fracture of the new restoration.
Post Op information for
root canal procedures: Following your root canal procedure, you
should expect all thermal sensitivity for that tooth to disappear.
For 95% of all root canal treated teeth, all symptoms should begin to
disappear and subside within three days. 5% of root canal treated
teeth will show postoperative sensitivity resulting in pain on biting as
well as possible swelling. This may occur even in the event that
the root canal procedure was entirely successful. We recommend you
take a basic anti-inflammatory agent (we recommend Advil/Ibuprofin; 400mg
every six hours) for up to two days, in order to greatly reduce postoperative
discomfort. In the event that you are experiencing rapidly
progressing pain and swelling after a root canal procedure, we recommend
that you call your dentist as soon as possible. It is very likely
that antibiotic therapy will be required at this point. Please have
the phone number of your local pharmacy handy as the dentist will need
this in order to phone in your prescription. Also, in the event that
your call is after hours and your dentist is away from the office, please
remind the dentist if you have any antibiotic allergies. Usually,
the pharmacist will have this information on hand anyways.
It is important to note,
that root canal treatment has a 98% success rate on the first
treatment. Approximately 0.5% of root canal treated teeth will
require extraction at some point. This is an inescapable statistic
as with all other medical treatments.
Post OP information for
extractions: After teeth have been extracted, you will be
directed to place pressure over the extraction socket(s) with gauze provided
to you. You must keep this pressure applied for a minimum of 40 minutes. In
the event, it continues, please place pressure on the socket using more
gauze. If
necessary, you may use a moist tea bag. During the healing process
please note the following:
- Avoid and sucking or
spitting actions as the negative pressure can dislodge the newly
formed clot. This is usually critical for the first three days.
- Avoid carbonated
drinks. Again, this is most useful for the first three to four
days.
- Listen to your body.
Avoid the site as long as it is uncomfortable.
- Clean the area very carefully. You
should rinse gently with warm salty water on the second day and exercise
caution with your tooth brush for the following 3-4 days.
In the event that you
experience discomfort, prolonged bleeding or swelling, it is important
that you call our office (604-224-2411) as soon as possible.
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