Dental Visits

Visiting your dentist regularly is an important step in maintaining your overall health.  Here are some suggestions for your comfort after you leave the dental practice.

Procedures Requiring Anesthesia

If your procedure requires anesthesia that numb sensation should wear off within a few hours.  As the numbness starts to go away you may feel some tingling before normal feeling returns.  You may experience an ache or soreness at the injection site.  What you usually take for headaches, minor aches and pain (Aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, etc.) will relieve your discomfort.  Until normal sensation returns be careful not to bite your lip, cheek, or tongue.

Pain or Swelling

Sometimes, the tooth or gums around the tooth may have mild pain or swelling for a few hours- this is also normal.  Again, mild pain relievers will help.

Bleeding

A little bleeding of the gums may occur.  Gentle rinsing and/or a cold compress (ice cube) should be sufficient (do not chew the ice cube).  If bleeding persists more than a few hours, please contact us.

Bits and pieces

After fillings or crown or gum procedures, sometimes small bits of materials or cement may remain in the folds of your mouth.  There is no harm if swallowed.  Gentle rinsing should remove the pieces.

Diet

You may eat normally starting 30 minutes after you leave; be careful until numbness goes away.  Because it takes up to 24 hours for some dental materials to set completely, try to avoid testing the site with sticky or hard foods for the rest of the day.

Follow-up Care

It is important that you plan either to finish the procedure (if multi visit) or schedule whatever follow-up procedure comes next.  Remember to make an appointment.

For more detailed information about specific procedures, please click on the appropriate links below:

Care after your Extraction

Care after fillings