Dentistry Made Easy With Dr. Maria A. Smith

When an anesthetic has been used, your lip and/or tongue and cheek may be numb for up to a couple of hours after the appointment. Avoid any chewing and hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off. It is very easy to bite or burn your tongue or lip while you are numb.

You may or may not experience some hot, cold & pressure sensitivity after your appointment. Injection sites may also be sore. Ibuprofen (Motrin), Tylenol or aspirin (one tablet every 3-4 hours as needed for pain) work well to alleviate the tenderness. If pressure sensitivity persists beyond two days or if the sensitivity to hot or cold does not decrease, contact our Shelton office at 203-924-1613.

You may chew with your composite fillings as soon as the anesthetic completely wears off. If, after the anesthetic wears off, you feel you are hitting the new restoration more than your other teeth, please call to come in for a further adjustment. Very rarely, the tooth with the new restoration may become fleetingly sensitive to cold after a month or so. This means that you need a bite adjustment even if your bite feels OK. There is no additional charge for these post treatment adjustment appointments. If you have any other questions or concerns, please call our Shelton office at 203-924-1613.

Crowns and bridges usually take two or three appointments to complete. In the first visit, the teeth are prepared and impressions of the mouth are taken. Temporary crowns or bridges are placed to protect the teeth while the custom restoration is being made. Since the teeth usually will be anesthetized, the tongue, lips and roof of the mouth may be numb. Please refrain from eating and drinking hot beverages until the numbness is completely worn off.

Occasionally a temporary crown may come off. Call us at 203-924-1613 if this happens and bring the temporary crown with you so we can re-cement it. It is very important for the temporary to stay in place, as it will prevent other teeth from moving and compromising the fit of your final restoration.

To keep your temporaries in place, avoid eating sticky foods (gum), hard foods, and if possible, chew on the opposite side of your mouth. It is important to brush normally, but floss carefully and don’t pull up on the floss which may dislodge the temporary, but pull the floss out from the side of the temporary crown.

You may or may not experience some temperature and pressure sensitivity after an appointment. The sensitivity should subside within a day or two. Most patients do not have any post treatment sensitivity within 24 hours. Mild pain medications may also be used as directed by our office.

We use very high-quality labs located in Connecticut. We always take full arch impressions and use an articulator for the fabrication of every crown or bridge, unlike other offices who use quadrant impressions and hinge articulators and often use off-shore labs in foreign countries to have their crowns made. Because of these added value features, many permanent crowns are able to be placed with little or no adjustment. Again, like composite restorations, any sensitivity should be gone and your bite should feel normal by the next day. If you have any other questions or concerns, please call our Shelton office at 203-924-1613.

Full mouth reconstructions and certain cosmetic procedures often involve working on several teeth at the same time. If we are correcting a worn a dentition, your bite will feel different after the initial appointment because it has been changed purposely to restore your mouth to its original form and functioning level. One of the purposes of provisional restorations in this type of advanced treatment is to work out the ideal occlusion in the provisionals, so that when the real final crowns are made, we know that they will be correct. If you continue to detect any high spots or problems with the provisionals, call our office at 203-924-1613 so we can schedule an adjustment appointment.

It may be normal to experience some hot and cold sensitivity, although this is rare. Your gums may also be sore for a day or two. Warm salt water rinses (a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) three times a day will reduce discomfort and swelling. A mild pain medication (one tablet of Tylenol or Ibuprofen (Motrin) every 3-4 hours) should ease any residual discomfort.

Don’t be concerned if your speech is affected for the first few days. You’ll quickly adapt and be speaking normally. You may notice increased salivation. This is because your brain is responding to the new size and shape of your teeth. This should subside to normal in about a week.

Daily brushing and flossing are a must for your new dental work. Daily plaque removal is critical for the long-term success of your new teeth, as are regular cleaning appointments.

If you engage in sports let us know so we can make a custom mouthguard. If you grind your teeth at night, and you have worn a night guard in the past, you will need a new one. Adjusting to the look and feel of your new smile will take time. If you have any problems or concerns, please let us know. We always welcome your questions.

If you are going to have an implant to replace an extracted tooth, it may either be done at the time of the extraction or later, depending on which tooth is being extracted. If the implant is not placed immediately after the extraction, the surgeon may recommend the placement of bone grafting material in the extraction socket. This helps preserve the ridge so that it will be wide enough to accommodate the implant in the future. If you have a bone graft done, you will also have sutures. After tooth extraction, if you are not having an implant, ie. third molar extractions, it’s important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. This blood clot actually transforms into bone during the healing process. In this situation, you will be asked to bite on a gauze pad for 30-45 minutes after the appointment. If the bleeding or oozing still persists, place another gauze pad and bite firmly for another 30 minutes. You can change the gauze pad as often as you want. You can also bite on a wet teabag if the bleeding has not subsided, After the blood clot forms, it is important not to disturb or dislodge the clot as it aids healing. Do not rinse vigorously, suck on straws, smoke, drink alcohol or brush teeth next to the extraction site for 72 hours. These activities may dislodge or dissolve the clot, resulting in a dry socket and retard the healing process. Limit vigorous exercise for the next 24 hours as this will increase blood pressure and may cause more bleeding from the extraction site.

After the tooth is extracted you may feel some pain and experience some swelling. An ice pack or an unopened bag of frozen peas or corn applied to the area will keep swelling to a minimum. Take pain medications as prescribed. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours.

Use the pain medication as directed. Call our Shelton office at 203-924-1613 if the medication doesn’t seem to be working. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone. Drink lots of fluid and eat nutritious soft food on the day of the extraction. You can eat normally as soon as you are comfortable.

It is important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours. This should include brushing and flossing your teeth at least once a day. This will speed healing and help keep your mouth fresh and clean.

After a few days you will feel fine and can resume your normal activities. If you have any concerns during the healing process, call our office if the tooth was extracted here or the office of the surgeon who did the extraction.