Q & A

When an anesthetic has been used, your lips and tongue may be numb for several hours after the appointment. Avoid any chewing and hot beverages until the numbness has completely worn off. It is very easy to bite or burn your tongue or lip while you are numb.

It is normal to experience some hot, cold & pressure sensitivity after your appointment. Injection sites may also be sore. Ibuprofen, Tylenol or aspirin work well to alleviate the tenderness. If pressure sensitivity persists beyond a few days or if the sensitivity to hot or cold increases, contact our office.

You may chew with your composite fillings as soon as the anesthetic completely wears off, since they are fully set when you leave the office.

If your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please call our office at  604-435-1644 or 604-438-4318.

After tooth extraction, it’s important for a blood clot to form. That’s why we ask you to bite on a gauze pad for 30 minutes after the appointment. If the bleeding still persists, place another gauze pad and bite firmly for another 30 minutes. You may have to do this several times.

After the blood clot forms, it is important not to disturb the clot as it aids healing. Do not rinse vigorously, suck on straws, smoke, drink alcohol or brush teeth next to the extraction site for 48 hours. Limit vigorous exercise for the next 24 hours as this will increase blood pressure and may cause more bleeding from the extraction site.

After the tooth is extracted you may feel some pain and experience some swelling. An ice pack applied to the area will keep swelling to a minimum. Take pain medications as prescribed. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours.

If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone. Drink lots of fluid and eat nutritious soft food on the day of the extraction.

It is important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours. This should include brushing and flossing your teeth at least once a day. This will speed healing and help keep your mouth fresh and clean.

After a few days you will feel fine and can resume your normal activities. If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for 2-3 days, or a reaction to the medication, call our office immediately at 604-435-1644 or 604-438-4318.

Crowns and bridges usually take two appointments to complete. In the first visit, the teeth are prepared and impressions are taken. Temporary crowns and bridges are placed to protect the teeth while the custom restoration is being made. Since the teeth will be anesthetized, the tongue, lips and roof of the mouth may be numb. Please refrain from eating and drinking hot beverages until the numbness is completely worn off.

Occasionally a temporary crown may come off. Call us if this happens and bring the temporary crown with you so we can re-cement it. It is very important for the temporary to stay in place, as it will prevent other teeth from moving and compromising the fit of your final restoration.

To keep your temporaries in place, avoid eating sticky foods (gum), hard foods, and if possible, chew on the opposite side of your mouth. It is important to brush normally, but floss carefully and don’t pull up on the floss which may dislodge the temporary but pull the floss out from the side of the temporary crown.

It is normal to experience some temperature and pressure sensitivity after each appointment. The sensitivity should subside a few weeks after the placement of the final restoration. Mild pain medications may also be used as directed by our office.

Before your baby’s first tooth appears, we recommend that after breast or bottle-feeding you wrap one finger with a clean, damp washcloth and gently rub it across your baby’s gum tissue. This allows a much easier transition to brushing with a toothbrush in the future

When that first tooth arrives, it’s time to upgrade to a baby toothbrush. The toothbrush should have a small head and the bristles should be extremely soft. Toothpaste is not necessary at this stage. You should just dip the brush in water. When a few more teeth appear, you can start using toothpaste with your child’s brush. For the first two years, choose a toothpaste that does not contain fluoride, unless otherwise advised by your dentist.

We recommend that you bring your child in for a visit within six months of the child’s first tooth eruption. At the first appointment, we will look at your child’s early oral health and make recommendations about the best way to care for his/her teeth.

Brushing:

• Choose a brush with soft, rounded bristles. Replace when the bristles are worn – about every two months.

• Place your toothbrush bristles at a 45 degree angle to the gumline.

• Use just enough pressure to feel bristles against your gums and between teeth.

• Brush all inner and outer tooth surfaces several times, using short, circular strokes and a scrubbing motion. Be sure to brush along the gumline as well.

• Brush chewing surfaces straight on. Clean the inside surfaces of front teeth by tilting the brush vertically and making up-and-down strokes with the front of the brush.

• Your toothbrush can only clean one or two teeth at a time. Move your brush frequently to reach every tooth and make sure you brush for two minutes.

• After brushing teeth, remember to brush your tongue. Oral bacteria can remain in taste buds.

Flossing:

• Starting with about 18 inches of floss, wind most of the floss around each middle finger, leaving an inch or two of floss to work with

• Holding the floss tautly between your thumbs and index fingers, slide it gently up-and-down between your teeth

• Gently curve the floss around the base of each tooth, making sure you go beneath the gumline. Never snap or force the floss, as this may cut or bruise delicate gum tissue

• Use clean sections of floss as you move from tooth to tooth

• To remove the floss, use the same back-and-forth motion to bring the floss up and away from the teeth