Homecare — Temporaory Onlays

How to care for a temporary onlays
Now that we’ve placed a temporary onlay, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure the success of your final restoration:

Chewing and eating
If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off. Avoid chewing for at least one half-hour to allow the temporary cement to set.

To keep your temporary in place,
AVOID

Avoid eating hard or sticky foods, especially chewing gum. If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.

Brushing and flossing

If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity persists beyond a few days, call us.

Medication and discomfort

Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed. To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about

1 teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.

 

When to call us
It's common and not a problem for a small portion of your temporary onlay to wear away or break off. Call us, though, if most or all of your temporary comes off. Save the temporary so we can recement it. It's very important for the proper fit of your final onlay that your temporary stay in place.

Call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have persistent sensitivity or discomfort, or if you have any questions or concerns.

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Homecare — Permanent Onlays

How to care for a Permanent onlays
Now that we’ve placed your permanent onlay, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure its success:

Chewing and eating
To protect your onlay, avoid chewing ice or other hard objects. If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the
numbness has completely worn off.

Brushing and flossing

If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity persists beyond a few days, call us.

 

Medication and Discomfort

Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed. To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about 1 teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.

When to call us
Call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have persistent sensitivity or discomfort, or if you have any questions or concerns.

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Homecare – Root Canal

How to care for your teeth following root canal therapy
Root canal therapy often takes two or more appointments to complete. A temporary filling or crown is placed to protect the tooth between appointments,

but you should take the following precautions to protect your tooth and ease any discomfort.

Numbness
Your lips, teeth, and tongue may be numb for several hours after appointments in which we’ve used an anesthetic. Avoid chewing anything until the numbness has completely worn off.

Temporary fillings and crowns

It’s common, and not a problem, for a small portion of your temporary filling to wear away or break off between appointments. If the entire filling falls out, or if a temporary crown comes off, call us so that we can replace it.

 

Medication And Discomfort

It's normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal appointment, especially when chewing. To control discomfort, take pain medication as recommended. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.

Routine care and precautionary measuresTo further reduce pain and swelling, rinse three times a day with warm salt water (a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water).
To protect the tooth and help keep your temporary filling or crown in place, avoid eating sticky or hard foods (especially gum), and if possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth. It's important to continue to brush normally, but floss very carefully. To prevent removal of the crown, remove the floss by pulling it through the teeth, not down or up from between the space between teeth.

Your permanent crown
Usually, the last step after root canal treatment is the placement of a crown on the tooth. A crown covers the tooth and protects it from breaking in the future. Please call our office if your bite feels uneven, if you have persistent swelling or pain, or if you have any other questions or concerns.

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