Dentistry
For Your Whole Family
Dentistry
For Your Whole Family
Additional Dental Information
Instructions for Dental Patients after Oral Surgery and Tooth Extractions
Avoid physical exertion and rinsing your mouth as much as possible for 24 hours after oral surgery or a tooth extraction, as this tends to prolong bleeding. Slight bleeding in the mouth for the first 24 hours is normal and can be ignored (since blood is mixing with saliva, it looks as if there is more blood than there actually is). If bleeding in the mouth is excessive, place a folded gauze pad over the area and bite gently upon it for 30 or more minutes.
After your dental procedure, be sure to take any prescribed medications as directed on the bottle. If no pain medication has been prescribed, the patient may take Advil (same as Motrin or Ibuprofen). Tylenol is okay, but not as effective for the pain after wisdom teeth removal or any other kind of oral surgery. Avoid Aspirin, as it may prolong bleeding in the mouth post-surgery. Starting the day after oral surgery or a tooth extraction, gently rinse your mouth several times per day with 1 tsp. salt in a glass of warm water. It is particularly important to do this after eating to flush out any food particles. Continue to rinse with warm salt water until your gums look closed (no more hole) where the tooth was extracted. Call our dental office in Palmyra if any problems or questions arise.
Root Canal Post-Treatment Instructions
Although root canal procedures are minimally invasive, a root canal is still a surgical dental procedure, and it is not uncommon for patients to experience some discomfort afterward. You may experience a dull ache in the treated tooth immediately after a root canal, which typically goes away after a few hours to a couple days.
The tooth that was treated during root canal therapy may also be sensitive to biting/chewing pressure. This is normal and will subside with time, usually after a week or so. We would like you to avoid chewing on that side for five to seven days, especially hard or sticky foods.
During a root canal procedure, the inner most portion of the tooth is hollowed out and predisposed to breaking. Most teeth that have had a root canal will require a dental crown afterward. It is recommended to have this tooth crown placed within two to six weeks after your root canal treatment.
Clinical Recommendation:
In general, for dental patients with prosthetic joint implants, prophylactic antibiotics are NOT recommended prior to dental procedures to prevent prosthetic joint infection.
For patients with a history of complications associated with their joint replacement surgery who are undergoing dental procedures that include gingival manipulation or mucosal incision, prophylactic antibiotics should only be considered after consultation with the patient and orthopedic surgeon.* To assess a patient’s medical status, a complete health history is always recommended when making final decisions regarding the need for antibiotic prophylaxis.
Clinical Reasoning for the Recommendation:
- There is evidence that dental procedures are not associated with prosthetic joint implant infections.
- There is evidence that antibiotics provided before oral care do not prevent prosthetic join implant infections.
- There are potential harms of antibiotics including risk for anaphylaxis, antibiotic resistance, and opportunistic infections like Clostridium difficile.
- The benefits of antibiotic prophylaxis may not exceed the harms for most dental patients.
- The individual patient’s circumstances and preferences should be considered when deciding whether to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental procedures.
Article courtesy of ADA Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry™
*In cases where antibiotics are deemed necessary, it is most appropriate that the orthopedic surgeon recommend a specific antibiotic regimen, and when reasonable, write the prescription.