Post-Treatment Care

Some soreness, swelling, bruising or mild bleeding can occur after implant surgery. These symptoms should gradually improve as healing progresses.

For the first day:

• Rest and avoid strenuous exercise.

• Apply a cold pack to the outside of the face for short intervals if recommended.

• Choose cool or lukewarm soft foods and drink plenty of water.

• Avoid very hot, hard, sharp or spicy foods.

• Do not disturb the implant, healing cap, stitches or surgical area with your fingers or tongue.

• Avoid forceful rinsing, spitting or drinking through a straw unless your dentist gives different instructions.

• Do not smoke or vape during healing.

• Take medications exactly as prescribed or recommended.

Oral hygiene:

Continue brushing and flossing the untreated areas. Clean near the implant only as instructed by your dentist. Use a prescribed mouth rinse only according to the directions provided.

Dentures and temporary teeth:

Do not wear a denture, retainer or removable temporary tooth over the surgical area unless it has been checked and approved by your dentist. Pressure on the implant or graft may interfere with healing.

Follow-up:

Attend the recommended follow-up appointment so the surgical area, stitches and healing can be assessed.

The grafted tissue and any donor site need protection while they begin healing.

• Do not brush, floss or use an interdental cleaner directly on the grafted area until your dentist tells you to begin.

• Do not pull the lip or cheek away to inspect the graft.

• Do not touch the graft or stitches with your tongue or fingers.

• Chew on the opposite side and choose soft foods.

• Avoid hard, crunchy, sharp or sticky foods that could traumatize the graft.

• Wear a protective stent or dressing exactly as instructed.

• Continue cleaning the rest of the mouth carefully.

• Use prescribed rinses and medications only as directed.

• Avoid smoking or vaping during healing.

• Attend your follow-up appointments.

The appearance of the graft can change during healing. Do not judge the final result during the early healing period.

Root coverage varies according to the original recession, bone support, tooth position, tissue characteristics and healing. Complete root coverage cannot be guaranteed.

Protecting the grafted area is important during early healing.

• Do not touch or press on the grafted area.

• Avoid pulling the cheek or lip to examine the site.

• Do not chew directly over the graft.

• Choose soft foods and chew on the opposite side where possible.

• Avoid vigorous rinsing or spitting during the early healing period.

• Brush the rest of the mouth normally but avoid the graft until instructed.

• Take prescribed medications and use any recommended mouth rinse exactly as directed.

• Do not wear a denture or removable appliance over the graft unless your dentist has approved it.

• Avoid smoking or vaping.

A small amount of swelling, bruising or minor bleeding can occur. Contact the clinic if symptoms become progressively worse rather than improving.

Follow the bone-grafting instructions above and protect the sinus from pressure.

• Do not blow your nose for the period specified by your dentist.

• If you need to sneeze, keep your mouth open.

• Do not suppress a sneeze by holding your nose.

• Avoid forceful spitting, drinking through a straw and smoking or vaping.

• Avoid activities that create strong nasal or sinus pressure.

• Take any prescribed antibiotics, nasal medication or decongestant exactly as directed.

• Contact the clinic if you notice persistent nasal bleeding, fluid passing between the mouth and nose, worsening sinus pain, fever or concern that graft material has been displaced.

A blood clot forms in the extraction site and protects the area while it begins healing.

Bleeding:

Keep the gauze in place with firm, steady pressure for the time directed by your dental team. If bleeding restarts, place fresh gauze over the area and maintain pressure. Do not repeatedly remove the gauze to check the site.

For the first day:

• Do not rinse vigorously, spit forcefully or use a straw.

• Do not touch the socket with your fingers or tongue.

• Avoid smoking and vaping.

• Avoid strenuous activity.

• Choose soft, cool or lukewarm foods.

• Avoid hard, sharp, spicy or very hot foods.

• Take medications exactly as directed.

Cleaning:

Continue cleaning the rest of your mouth. Beginning the following day, or when instructed, gently rinse and carefully clean near the surgical area without disturbing the clot or stitches.

Contact the clinic if pain becomes substantially worse after initially improving, bleeding remains uncontrolled, swelling continues to increase, or you develop fever, pus, an unpleasant discharge or feel increasingly unwell.

A responsible adult should supervise the child after treatment.

While the mouth is numb:

• Do not allow the child to bite, chew or suck the lip, cheek or tongue.

• Avoid hot foods and drinks.

• Offer soft foods that require little chewing.

• Remind the child that the numb feeling is temporary.

• Continue checking the lip and cheek until normal feeling returns.

After an extraction:

• Keep gauze in place only as instructed and while the child is awake and closely supervised.

• Remove gauze before the child sleeps.

• Avoid vigorous rinsing, forceful spitting and drinking through a straw on the day of treatment.

• Offer soft foods and plenty of appropriate fluids.

• Keep fingers, toys and other objects away from the extraction area.

Pain medication:

Give only the medication and dose recommended by the dentist or the child’s healthcare professional. Follow the product label and keep all medications out of children’s reach.

Contact the clinic if the child has persistent bleeding, increasing swelling, fever, worsening pain, difficulty drinking or any reaction to medication.

These instructions do not replace separate discharge instructions following sedation or general anesthesia.

Avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. This helps prevent accidental biting of the cheek, lip or tongue.

Mild sensitivity to temperature or pressure can occur after a filling. Contact the clinic if:

• the bite feels uneven or the treated tooth contacts first;

• sensitivity is severe;

• discomfort is increasing rather than improving;

• the filling feels loose or breaks.

Continue normal brushing and flossing unless your dentist gives different instructions.

After the tooth has been prepared, mild gum tenderness or temperature sensitivity may occur.

If you have a temporary crown or bridge:

• Avoid very sticky, hard or chewy foods on that side.

• Clean carefully around the temporary restoration.

• Follow the specific flossing technique demonstrated by the dental team.

• Contact the clinic if the temporary restoration becomes loose or comes off.

• Do not use household glue to reattach it.

After the final crown or bridge is inserted, contact the clinic if the bite feels high, chewing is uncomfortable or the restoration feels loose.

The tooth and surrounding tissues may feel tender after treatment, particularly when biting.

• Take medications only as directed.

• Avoid hard chewing on the treated tooth until your dentist confirms that it is adequately restored.

• Maintain normal brushing and flossing.

• Complete the recommended permanent filling or crown if that stage has not yet been completed.

Contact the clinic if you develop increasing swelling, fever, severe persistent pain, a reaction to medication or loss of the temporary restoration.

The gums may feel tender and the teeth may temporarily feel sensitive after periodontal cleaning.

• Continue gentle brushing and interdental cleaning as instructed.

• Use prescribed rinses or sensitivity products only as directed.

• Avoid foods or drinks that aggravate sensitivity.

• Attend periodontal reassessment and maintenance appointments.

Contact the clinic if bleeding is heavy, discomfort is increasing, swelling develops or you have concerns about healing.