Patient Care InstructionsSan Jose, CA

Post Operative Instructions for Fillings

Refrain from eating at least 2 hours after the appointment and until the anesthesia has worn off.

Sensitivity:

Sensitivity, especially to cold, is common for a time following treatment. For the first few days, avoid extremely hot or cold foods and beverages. It is normal to have discomfort in the gums around the tooth after the anesthesia wears off due to the procedure.

If your gums are tender, rinse with warm salt water, dissolving ½ teaspoon of salt in an 8 oz. glass of warm water. An analgesic (pain reliever) such as Tylenol or Advil will help increase your comfort.

The New Filling:

After the placement of your new restoration, it may take a few days to get used to it. If your bite feels unbalanced, please be sure to call our office for an appointment for a simple adjustment.

Home Care:

Although the treatment that was performed is quite durable, the underlying tooth is still vulnerable to decay, especially at the interface between the tooth and filling. It is important to resume regular brushing and flossing immediately. Daily home care and regulating your intake of sugar-containing foods will increase the longevity of your new restoration.

Post Operative Instructions for Crowns and Bridges

Refrain from eating at least 2 hours or until the anesthesia has worn off.

Temporary:

A temporary is a crown or bridge that is placed on the prepared teeth while the final restoration is being made. The temporary serves a very important purpose. It protects the exposed dentin so it is not sensitive, prevents food and bacteria from collecting on the prepared teeth, and prevents the tooth from shifting or moving, which can make seating of the final restoration more difficult.

The temporary is placed with lightweight cement that is designed to come off easily so avoid chewing sticky foods such as gum, caramels, etc.

Use your toothbrush to clean the temporary as you normally do your other teeth. However, when flossing, it is best to pull the floss through the contact rather than lift on the temporary so you don’t accidentally loosen the temporary. If your temporary comes off between appointments, slip it back on and call our office so that we can re-cement it for you. A little denture adhesive placed inside the crown can help hold in place in the interim.

Sensitivity:

Sensitivity, especially to cold, is common for a time following treatment. For the first days, avoid extremely hot or cold foods and beverages. It is normal to have discomfort in the gums around the tooth after the anesthesia wears off due to the procedure.

If your gums are tender, rinse with warm salt water, dissolving ½ teaspoon of salt in an 8 oz. glass of warm water. An analgesic such as Tylenol or Advil will help to increase your comfort.

Final Crown or Bridge:

After the final cementation of your restoration, it may take a few days to get used to the new crown or bridge. If your bite feels unbalanced, please be sure to call our office for an appointment for a simple adjustment.

Home Care:

Although crowns and bridges are often the most durable of all restorations, the underlying tooth is still vulnerable to decay, especially at the interface between the tooth and the crown. It is important to resume regular brushing and flossing immediately. Daily home care and regulating your intake of sugar-containing foods will increase the longevity of your new restorations.

Post Operative Instructions Following Scaling and Root Planing Therapy

Scaling and root planning therapy is a procedure that involves removing bacterial plaque and tartar from the root surface below the gum line with instruments and ultrasonic devices. It may also require removal of diseased tissue within the pocket with a laser. The goal of this treatment is to allow re-attachment of the gums to the clean root surface and to shrink the periodontal pockets to levels that can be maintained by daily flossing and brushing. The following guidelines have been prepared for you in order to maximize healing and minimize any discomfort.

Refrain from eating for at least 2 hours or until the anesthesia has worn off.

Things to Avoid for the first 24 hours:

Vigorous physical exercise, but you may return to work

Drinking through a straw or sucking motions

Do not smoke. It is better to refrain for 48 hours.

Drinking alcoholic beverages will retard the healing process

Foods that are extreme in temperature, spicy, and/or hard and crunchy

Avoid using any strong mouthwashes that contain alcohol

Things to Do:

You may take a non-aspirin analgesic to relieve any tenderness or discomfort. Ex. Ibuprofen (Advil)

Eat a well balanced soft diet for today. You may chew on the opposite side of the treated area until it is comfortable to chew normally.

Rinse with warm salt water rinse, ½ teaspoon in an 8 oz. glass of water, 3 times a day.

Brush your teeth very lightly in the treated area the first night. Then begin flossing lightly as well the next day, gradually increasing to normal force by the week’s end.

After flossing and brushing, rinse with chlorhexidine gluconate (Peridex), if it was prescribed, for at least 60 seconds. Do this at least twice daily. Also, rinse with warm salt water 3 times a day if Peridex was not prescribed.

Several days after treatment, your gums should begin to appear a lighter pink color, less swollen, and will bleed less when you floss. These are signs of healing and improving periodontal health. If you have any questions, please call our office (408) 247-8080.

After Your Zoom Whitening

Everyone’s teeth have a protective layer called the acquired pellicle. This layer contains the surface dental stains and is removed during a regular dental cleaning or the whitening process. It takes twelve to twenty-four hours for the barrier to fully develop again. During this period we ask that you avoid the items listed.

You may also experience some tooth sensitivity during this period. If you do have any sensitivity symptoms, you may take whatever you would normally use for a headache.

Please feel free to contact us, should you have any questions or concerns. We will be happy to assist you. Please call (408) 247-8080.

We recommend that you avoid the following for the next 48 hours:

red wine

dark colas

coffee or tea

red sauces

mustard or ketchup

soy sauce, A-1 sauce

smoking

Or anything that would stain a white shirt

White and clear foods you may consume for the next 24 hours:

milk, water, clear soda

bananas, apples (no peel)

white bread, flour tortillas

oatmeal, cream of wheat

plain yogurt, white cheese

sour cream, cottage cheese

white rice, baked potato

plain pasta and white sauce

turkey, chicken breast (no skin) white fish

Pre-Op for the Porcelain Veneer or Full Mouth Reconstruction Treatment

These pre-op instructions were designed with you in mind. In order to assure that your preparation time is as comfortable as possible, please be sure to:

Wear comfortable clothing during your procedure.

Be sure to eat a meal prior to your procedure.

It is more than likely that you will be anesthetized for this procedure so you will not be

able to eat a meal until your anesthesia wears off completely. (Approximately 1-2 hours).

Plan to be in our chair for approximately 2-3 hours for your first appointment.

No caffeine to drink or eat.

Your insertion appointment will require approximately the same amount of time.

Arrange for a ride to and from the preparation and insertion appointment.

Avoid Vitamin "E" during dental treatment

Important

If you have mitro-valve pro lapse and if your physician requires you to pre-medicate prior to your dental procedure, please do so 1 hour prior to coming in for your appointment.

If you have any type of allergy to any material or anesthesia, please notify us at once.

We have your every comfort in mind. For your procedure you may elect to have:

Aroma therapy

A blanket to keep warm

Music of your choice

A neck role

Paraffin hand treatment

Reflexology, by appointment only

Pre-Op for the Porcelain Veneer or Full Mouth Reconstruction Treatment

Please note that this appointment is extremely important. Dr. Bittner Jr. will do all of his artistic re-contouring and characterization at this appointment and make any necessary final adjustments in length, bite and phonetics. This half an hour appointment will be given to you 2 to 3 days after the insertion of your veneers.

Post-op veneer or full mouth reconstruction preparation instructions

These post op instructions were designed with you in mind. In order to assure that your temporization time is as comfortable as possible, please be sure that:

Stay away from hard or sticky foods

Brush very lightly over the temporized area with a soft tooth brush

Avoid chewing gum or hard candy

Avoid beverages that are too hot or too cold

Avoid spicy foods

Do not bite in to anything hard with the temporized teeth

Do not floss the temporized area during the temporary stage (your temporary is usually in one piece)

For patient’s who have laser tissue re-contouring:

Please make sure to brush area very lightly

Use a warm salt-water rinse each evening

Avoid hot beverages

Avoid spicy foods

Do not brush vigorously around the area that has been worked on

Important

Please do not eat anything until your anesthesia wears off completely

Please do not drink any hot beverages until your anesthesia has worn off completely

It is normal for you to feel sensitivity in the area worked on the day of your preparation and the day after

If you feel anything above minor discomfort your temporization stage, please call our office at once at 408-247-8080

Reminder: Your insertion appointment will be at least 2-3 hours long. Please wear comfortable clothing and have a meal prior to arriving for your appointment.

If you have mitro-valve prolapse and need to pre-medicate, please do so 1-hour prior to arriving for your appointment.