Treatment Instructions

After an Extraction

Take prescribed medication as directed
You will likely be biting on cotton gauze when you leave the office. Keep biting on the gauze until you get home. We have given you some clean extra gauze to take with you. If the area is still bleeding, moisten the clean gauze and apply pressure (biting) for another 20 minutes. If the area is still bleeding after 20 more minutes, bite on a wet tea bag to apply pressure.
If the bleeding cannot be controlled or persists beyond 10 hours, please call us. Keep in mind: A little bit of blood mixed with saliva can seem like a lot of blood. The socket may weep a little bit of blood for 24-48 hours, which is normal. Don’t be alarmed is there is a small amount of blood on your pillow in the morning.
Your mouth will be numb after the extraction. Be careful not to bite your cheeks, lip or tongue. It’s best to wait until the numbness is gone before eating.
Take your pain medications as prescribed. It is a good idea to start them before the freezing wears off. That way they’re working in your system when the freezing comes out.
You may want to apply a cold compress (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off) for the first 24 hours to decrease swelling, pain, and bleeding.
Drink plenty of liquids and eat a balanced diet. Try to avoid any hot liquids as this can burn a numb area, and heat can also increase bleeding. Warm soup is a good meal for the day of an extraction.
For the first 24 hours, don’t do any heavy rinsing, spitting, or sucking through a straw. Leave the area alone as much as possible to let the blood clot stabilize.
You should never smoke again, but if you must, wait as long as possible.
After the first 24 hours, gently rinse with salt-water every 2-4 hours for 4-5 days. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of warm water.
If stitches were placed, they will dissolve in a few days.

After a Root Canal

By following these instructions, you can minimize the occurrence of complications and expedite recovery:

Take your pain medication before the freezing comes out. That way it is working in your system when the freezing wears off.
Unless otherwise instructed, take 400mg of Ibuprofen (ie. Motrin, Advil) every 6 hours for the first 24 hours, by the clock, regardless of pain levels. This will help minimize inflammation.
The root canal procedure causes some inflammation around the tooth. This can make the tooth tender to biting, or even achy. This is normal, and usually resolves in a week or two. Occasionally it may take a month or two to completely resolve.
When you leave the appointment, you will most likely have a temporary filling on the tooth. This temporary filling is the consistency of plaster. Be careful not to eat anything too hard or sticky on the temporary filling. Don’t worry if little pieces of the temporary crumble off, but do call us if something happens where the entire temporary filling falls out.
As you know, root canal therapy weakens a tooth. To minimize the risk of fracture, avoid eating hard foods on the treated tooth until the final permanent protective restoration is placed on the tooth.

Nitrous Oxide Instructions

Nitrous oxide is a safe and effective sedative agent that is mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a small mask that fits over your nose to help you relax. (Also known as laughing gas)

Nitrous oxide, sometimes called “laughing gas,” is a service that is offered to help make you more comfortable during dental procedures.
It is not intended to put you to sleep.
You will be able to hear and respond to any requests or directions the dentist may have.
Your dentist will ask you to breathe normally through your nose, and within a few short minutes you should start to feel the effects of the nitrous oxide.
You may feel light-headed or a tingling in your arms and legs, some people say their arms and legs feel heavy.
Ultimately, you should feel calm and comfortable.
The effects of nitrous oxide will have worn off before you leave the dental chair.
It is necessary that you have an empty stomach and therefore should not eat or drink 2 hours prior to appointment.

Call us if you have:

Severe pain that is not controlled by medication
Uncontrolled bleeding
Pain or swelling that worsens after 3 days
Nausea, vomiting or fever
Any questions

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