Existing Patients
Post-Visit Instructions
What to expect, and how to care for yourself, after common dental appointments. Instructions you were given in the chair take precedence.
When in doubt, call us
If you have unexpected swelling, severe pain, fever, or anything that worries you, call 780-432-3430.
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After a cleaning and exam
- Mild gum tenderness for a day or two is common, especially if it has been a while since the last cleaning.
- Keep brushing and flossing. Skipping flossing because the gums are sore can leave the irritation in place.
- If fluoride was applied, avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes.
- Temperature or sweet sensitivity sometimes lasts a few days and then settles.
After freezing
- Numbness often wears off in one to four hours.
- Avoid hot food and drinks while you are numb, because it is easy to burn yourself.
- Do not bite your cheek, tongue, or lip. This happens often with children.
- Wait until feeling has returned before you eat a meal.
After a filling
- Follow the freezing notes above while you are numb.
- Cold sensitivity for a few days, sometimes a few weeks, is a common response as the tooth settles.
- Call if your bite feels high when you close.
- Call if sensitivity lasts more than a week or gets worse instead of better.
After a temporary crown
- Avoid sticky and hard foods. They can pull a temporary crown off.
- When you floss, slide the floss out sideways instead of pulling it up through the contact.
- If the temporary comes off, call so it can be put back on. The tooth can shift or feel sensitive without it.
- Some sensitivity for a week or two after the permanent crown is placed is common.
After an extraction
- Bite on the gauze for 30 to 45 minutes so a clot can form.
- Pink saliva in the first day is common. Bright red bleeding that does not slow down is a reason to call.
- Do not smoke, use a straw, or rinse hard for 24 hours. Suction can pull the clot out.
- Soft foods for the first day or two are easier. Cold foods such as yogurt can feel better.
- Some soreness for two or three days is expected. Use pain medicine only as directed.
- Pain that gets worse after two or three days can be a dry socket. Call if that happens.
- Call promptly for swelling, fever, or pain that is spreading.
After root canal treatment
- The tooth can be sore for a few days. That is a usual response.
- Over-the-counter pain relief is often enough. Follow the package directions, and follow anything the dentist prescribed instead if you were given specific medicine.
- Avoid chewing on that tooth until the permanent restoration is on. The tooth is easier to crack before it is restored.
- Call for severe pain, swelling, or a reaction to medicine.
After teeth whitening
- Sensitivity for a day or two is common.
- For about 48 hours, limit coffee, tea, red wine, berries, and dark sauces.
- Toothpaste for sensitive teeth can help if the sensitivity is strong.
- Skip very hot or very cold food and drinks while the teeth feel sensitive.
If you were given different instructions
Use the instructions from your dentist or hygienist. Take prescribed medicine as directed.
For an unexpected problem after a visit, call 780-432-3430 during office hours.