After Care Instructions

Oral Hygience with Aligners

We don’t want any of our patients to suffer from decay and as a parent, you don’t want your child to end up with a mouthful of cavities. At Smile Obsession, our Invisalign dentists provide solution to fit teens with Invisalign® instead of traditional braces. When wearing braces, the risk for decay naturally increases because proper care calls for a more intricate routine. As part of their dental aftercare plan, teens with braces will need to use a special flossing tool and brush for proper plaque removal in the area around the brackets which has to be repeated for every tooth—so you can imagine how much longer it will take. With Invisalign®, we can recommend a special cleaning solution but the process is otherwise, virtually the same as always. The only extra step is to brush the aligners with warm water and a soft toothbrush before putting back into place.

Teeth Whitening

It’s normal for some to experience minor tooth sensitivity for up to three days after your appointment. If you experience any severe or prolonged sensitivity, please contact our office. All teeth whitening procedures eventually wear off and teeth gradually return to a darker shade. So, you may want to touch up your teeth with at-home whitening products from time to time. We can help you determine what, if any, maintenance program you should follow. Of course, one of the best ways to preserve your new brighter smile is to keep up with regularly scheduled professional cleanings!

For the first 48 hours, you should avoid excessively hot or cold foods or beverages and anything that would stain a white t-shirt, as your teeth will be especially vulnerable to staining.

This includes:

• Red Wine
• Red Meat
• Soy Sauce
• Coffee or Tea
  Fruits (they’re naturally acidic and darker fruits, like berries, stain)
• Tomatoes (including sauce and juice)
• Dark vegetables (e.g. beets, spinach)
• Colas
• Foods containing dyes or artificial coloring

We recommend the following foods (and those similar):

• Bananas
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Fish
• Chicken
• White bread
• Light vegetables (e.g. cauliflower)
• White Wine

Composite (White) Fillings

Your new composite fillings will be fully hardened before you even leave the office, however, you may experience numbness in your lips, teeth, and tongue for several hours due to the anesthetic. As part of your dental aftercare treatment, try to avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off or chew on the opposite side of the newly placed filling(s) as it’s easy to accidentally bite (or burn) your tongue or lip. You may also experience sensitivity to pressure and/or hot and cold food or beverage—this may linger for a few weeks but will fade over time. If you feel soreness, tenderness, or discomfort at the anesthetic injection sites, you may take an over-the-counter pain reliever like aspirin or ibuprofen (e.g. Advil, Tylenol)*.

When using an anesthetic, it’s very common to have an incorrect bite following a filling placement as the numbness may prevent you from feeling whether or not your bite is even. If your bite feels uneven after the numbness subsides, please call our office and we’ll get you in as soon as possible to correct it.

Please call if you have any questions or concerns!

‍*Do not take these medications if you have a medical condition which prevents you from doing so or are allergic.

Root Canal

Your root canal treatment may take two or more appointments to complete. When an anesthetic is used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours after each appointment. Try to avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off or chew on the opposite side of your restored tooth as it’s easy to accidentally bite (or burn) your tongue or lip.

We’ll place a temporary filling or crown on the treated tooth to protect it until the final restoration has been placed. Between appointments, it is common for a small portion of your temporary filling or crown to wear away or break off, which is perfectly fine. However, if the entire filling or temporary crown comes off, please call our office immediately so we can protect your tooth.

To help keep your temporary filling or crown in place, try to avoid:

• Sticky foods (especially gum or caramel)
• Biting hard foods/substances (e.g. ice, fingernails, and pencils)

Though you may not have experienced any discomfort prior to treatment, it’s normal to experience after your restoration. This includes soreness when chewing, experiencing a dull ache near the restoration site, and mild irritation and/or gum tenderness—all which typically subside within 7-10 days. To control discomfort, take pain medication as recommended by your dentist. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

Please call us if you experience an uneven bite, persistent pain, swelling, or have any questions or concerns.

Tooth Extractions

We often use an anesthetic during tooth extractions, so your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours following surgery. We recommend a liquid diet for the first 24 hours to prevent food from coming into contact with the extraction site and to remain hydrated during healing. Just be sure to not use a straw!

To help decrease inflammation, place cold towels or an ice bag on your face for the first 6-8 hours after treatment for 15 minutes at a time. Repeat this process if you continue to experience swelling or stiffness over the next few days. Do not touch the extraction site with fingers or tongue and wait until the morning following surgery to rinse your mouth; this will help you prevent infection and keep from dislodging the blood clot necessary for proper healing.

The morning after surgery, rinse with warm salt water (use 1/2 teaspoon salt) and repeat several times daily to promote faster healing. Your saliva may be slightly tinged with blood for a few days but if bleeding persists, place moist gauze over the extraction site and bite down for 30-45 minutes.

Take pain medication as recommended by your dentist to control discomfort. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

Please call us if you experience persistent pain or bleeding, or have any questions or concerns.