Feel free to call our office anytime if you have a post-operative problem.

If you have had local anesthetic (“Novocain”) the injection site will often be sore or feel swollen for a few days, but this will resolve on its own. If it persists, please make an appointment to let the Doctor examine it.

Until full feeling has returned, do not eat anything, or drink anything but cold water, as you could bite or burn your cheek, lip or tongue without knowing it.

Most fillings or new restorations on teeth need a few hours to set and don’t reach full hardness for 24 hours, so be gentle the first day. Chew on the other side. Never chew on ice.

Many procedures will have residual soreness for the first 48 hours, so don’t be worried unless the pain is severe. Usually, 600 mg (3 tablets of 200 mg each) of over-the-counter Ibuprofen (e.g. Advil), or 2 Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) tablets every 6-8 hours will take care of the soreness.

After that, the most common problem is that the bite is off, and needs to be adjusted by the Doctor. Sensitivity to cold or to biting is a common indicator of this. Remember, you may have been numb, and perhaps fatigued from being open, when the bite was checked at the time of treatment. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT TOO LONG TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO ADJUST THE BITE. IT OFTEN MAKES SYMPTOMS WORSE IF YOU LET IT GO.

Carefully follow all guidelines provided by the doctor and their staff and most importantly practice good oral hygiene. Additional instructions following various types of treatment are listed below. Please click on the below topics for detailed instructions. If you are experiencing a serious or life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.