Post-Operation… What to expect

Dr. Schulte knows that the more information patients have, the better they feel—especially when it comes to extensive procedures! That’s why he offers advice regarding what to expect after the following procedures:

Crowns/Bridges

• It often takes a few days to get used to a new crown or bridge once the final cementation has taken place; however, sensitivity to hot and cold can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Your bite should feel balanced throughout—if it doesn’t, please give us a call.
• The cement needs at least 24 hours to set up and have optimum strength, so please abstain from chewing hard or sticky foods during this time.
• To keep your crowns and/or bridges in optimum shape, keep your whole mouth in top form with proper brushing, flossing, and at least two professional cleanings a year. A crowned tooth can only decay at the edge of the crown at the gum line; the earlier a problem around the restoration is detected, the better the chances of keeping the restoration from having to be re-done.

Extractions

• Unless otherwise directed, do not rinse the mouth the day of the surgery.
• Ice packs can be used continuously to minimize swelling for the first twenty-four hours for comfort.
• Avoid hot liquids, carbonated and alcoholic beverages for twenty-four hours.
• DO NOT SMOKE or use straws.
• Avoid spitting the day of surgery
• It is important to keep your mouth very clean following surgery.  A soft toothbrush, cotton swabs, or gently rinsing with salty water (1/2 tsp. salt in a full glass of warm tap water) is helpful.
• Beginning the next day, gently rinse the mouth using a full glass of warm water in which 1/2 tsp. salt has been dissolved--3 times a day. 
• If you cannot get a supply of salt, use warm water anyway.  Your may brush your teeth gently and use a commercial mouthwash.  Do not add salt to the warm water if you ave high blood pressure or heart disease.
• Eat soft foods (warm or cold) and maintain adequate daily fluid consumption.  (Liquid food supplement, juices, malts, soup, etc.)

In Case of Bleeding

• After your teeth were removed, a gauze compress was placed. This was to help stop the bleeding and keep saliva away from the open socket. Should slight bleeding continue, it is a good plan to put a Fresh, clean gauze compress on the bleeding place in the same manner. Change about every 30 minutes and it can be repeated 3 to 4 times.
• If the bleeding continues in spite of the above, make a small amount of strong tea, boiling it for 5 minutes, then soak a small gauze compress in the tea and bite   on if firmly for approximately 30 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
• Also lie down and get some rest.  That will help get the bleeding to subside.

Please feel free to contact our office at (402) 274-5110 if you have any questions or concerns.

Root Canals

Also known as endodontic treatments, root canals might take up to three appointments to be complete - and any appointment might trigger the following symptoms:

• Sensitivity to hot & cold
• Sensitivity to pressure
• Swelling - Swelling may be an indication that additional medication is required, so please call us immediately if you experience it.
• Following a root canal, the tooth in question will sometimes feel “high” when you bite your teeth together. Since this leaves your tooth sensitive for a longer period of time, please call us if your own bite feels this way. A simple bite adjustment usually rectifies the problem.

Other important things to know:

• A filling may be used to temporarily seal the tooth between dental visits.
• Until the final restoration is placed, be gentle on the tooth - especially when eating.
• Since root canals tend to irritate gum tissue, you might find your gums - as well as the anesthetic injection site - sore for a few days.
• The nerve, blood, and nutrient supply to the tooth are removed during endodontic treatments, leaving it brittle and prone to fractures. To prevent an extraction from becoming necessary, we recommend getting a full coverage crown.