If you’re still numb, be careful not to bite yourself. Don’t play with the numb area by poking yourself, as it may not hurt now, but after the anaesthetic wears off, you’ll feel it. Avoid hot drinks as you don’t want to accidentally burn the tissues.

Your new composite tooth coloured fillings are set immediately with our high intensity curing light, so they’re ready to be used right away. Just be careful of chewing too vigorously until you’re used to the new tooth shape. Let us know if the bite is too high after the anaesthetic wears off, and we’ll get you back to make that adjustment.

For the temporary crown stage that you have for a week or two, when you have the plastic crown(s), be careful of biting foods that are too hard or sticky. Floss if you can, but pull the floss out the side of the tooth, as opposed to back up/down from where it came as it might pull off the temporary crown. If that temp does come off, let us know so that we can re-cement it for you to protect that tooth until we get the permanent one in place.

For the real final crown, we use cements that set immediately, but still be wary of the new tooth for a couple of days as your tissues and bite get used to the new addition. If the bite is not right, contact us so that we can get you in to make that adjustment that will make it feel right.

Hopefully, we are able to relieve your severe tooth pain after the root canal. It will be somewhat tender as your tissues heal, but it should improve quickly. If you suddenly get swelling in the area afterwards in the first day or two, contact us immediately, as you might need antibiotics to help with the healing.

If you had an extraction, there will be a clot that forms in the socket of bone where the tooth used to be. That clot is a gelatinous mass of clotted blood and products to start the healing. Because that clot is always wet, it is delicate, and can be dislodged with negative pressure (sucking on straw, smoking, spitting, heavy rinsing, playing with it) leaving exposed bone, which is very painful. If that happens, try biting on a rolled up piece of gauze, or a used tea bag, for 15 minutes on the extraction site. If it still continues bleeding, notify us, and we’ll get you in to re-establish the clot

Take it easy the first day of the extraction. That means no aerobic exercise, heavy lifting or getting your blood pressure up too high.

Take it easy eating too. Go easy chewing, and avoid chewing on that side until the next day. Avoid brushing the area for the first day.

Research has shown that take-home bleaching has more successful results than in-office procedures. For this reason, we no longer do in-office bleaching, as the solutions are harsh, and the results unstable. A take-home kit allows you to wear the custom trays with bleaching gel for up to 30 minutes at a time to release the whitening oxygen radical into your teeth. Depending on your shade, you can get results in less than a week. Once your teeth are light enough to your liking, it only requires occasional applications to refresh the white.

As we instruct in office at the time of delivering your custom trays, you must apply the peroxide gel with the thin applicator tip into the area of the tray that is in contact with the area you wish to whiten. A small drop of 2-3 mm is usually enough. After seating the tray into place, wipe off the excess with a brush along the gums. If you overfill the trays with gel, the gel may cause a burning sensation on the gums. If that happens, take off the tray and brush off the gel on your tissues. It’ll have a white spot burn if it was on your gums long enough. That will heal, but it may take a day or two.

Your teeth may become sensitive to temperatures while you’re in the whitening process. This usually ceases shortly after you stop the bleaching procedures. Application of sensitive toothpastes often helps to alleviate the discomfort. You may want to take a night or two off from bleaching when that happens.

The Poladay whitening gel is sensitive to oxygen and light, so the manufacturer advises to reseal the syringe with the original plug, and to replace the gel into the foil wrapper to protect from light when not in use. Store in a cool area also. Remember that the next time you use the gel again, that the gel in the applicator tip is likely ineffective as it has been exposed to air, so discharge that first.

After the teeth reach the desired shade and it doesn’t seem to improve anymore, you’re done! After a few months, you may need a touch up, especially if you’ve had staining foods like red wine, coffee, curry, or saffron. A single or double application of gel will likely refresh it back again, so don’t lose those custom trays!