• Eat a normal meal beforehand unless we've told you otherwise — being numb afterward can delay your next meal.
• Bring a list of all medications and supplements you take, and let us know about any changes to your health or medications since your last visit.
• If you've ever been told to take antibiotics before dental work (premedication), take them exactly as prescribed and tell us if you haven't.
• Brush and floss before you come in.
• Eat normally — local anesthesia does not require fasting.
• Plan for the numbness to last 2–4 hours after your visit; schedule meals and meetings accordingly.
• If you feel anxious, tell us when you book — we'll build in extra time and go at your pace.
• Eat a light meal beforehand unless instructed otherwise.
• Avoid smoking before (and 48 hours after) surgery — it significantly delays healing.
• Wear comfortable clothing and plan a restful rest of the day; strenuous activity should wait 24–48 hours.
• If sedation has been arranged for your procedure, follow the specific fasting instructions you were given and arrange a driver to take you home.
• Fill any prescriptions we've sent in before your appointment so they're ready at home.
• A recent professional cleaning gives the best, most even result — we'll schedule accordingly.
• If you have sensitive teeth, start brushing with a desensitizing toothpaste (e.g., Sensodyne) a week before your visit.
• Plan a "white diet" for the 48 hours after treatment (see post-op below) — you may want to stock up on light-colored foods.
• Fluoride treatment: avoid eating or drinking for the first 30 minutes, and hot drinks for 4 hours.
• Mild cold sensitivity: use a desensitizing toothpaste or fluoride gel (MI Paste, Prevident, Clinpro, Enamelon) at least 4 times a day for 1–2 weeks. The cleaner the teeth are kept, the less sensitive they'll be.
• Jaw soreness: ice packs on the muscles and joints for 5 minutes, followed by a warm compress for 15 minutes — repeat throughout the day as needed.
• Eating: wait until the anesthesia wears off, and be careful not to bite your tongue, lips, or cheeks while numb. Avoid hard, chippy foods (tortilla chips, popcorn, seeds) for several days.
• Smoking: avoid for 24–48 hours — it delays tissue healing.
• Cold sensitivity: desensitizing toothpaste or fluoride gel 4× a day for 1–2 weeks.
• Gum tenderness: rinse 2–3 times daily with ½ teaspoon of salt in warm water; Tylenol or Advil helps.
• Antibiotics: if prescribed, take with food as directed.
• Chlorhexidine rinse: rinse twice a day for 2 weeks — swish 30 seconds and spit. Temporary tooth staining can occur.
• If treated with Arestin: don't touch the treated areas; wait 12 hours before brushing and 10 days before flossing between treated teeth; avoid sticky or sharp foods for a week.
• Persistent discomfort, swelling, or pain: call us at (661) 857-7662.
• Eating: wait until numbness wears off to avoid biting your tongue or cheeks.
• Bite feels high or off-balance: call us for a quick adjustment.
• Hot/cold sensitivity: normal after the procedure; it should lessen over days to a few weeks. As long as it keeps decreasing, there's no cause for concern.
• Gum tenderness: warm salt water rinses 2–3× daily; Tylenol or Advil as needed.
• Severe or throbbing pain: a deeper cavity can inflame the nerve inside the tooth — call us for evaluation.
• Eating: wait for numbness to wear off. With a temporary crown, avoid sticky or chewy foods and chew on the other side.
• Bite feels high: call us for an adjustment.
• Sensitivity: normal, and should keep decreasing over days to weeks.
• Temporary crown came off: call us to re-cement it. Over a weekend, pharmacies carry over-the-counter dental cement — clean the tooth and crown, practice the orientation, place cement inside the crown, seat it, and bite gently on rolled tissue for 5–10 minutes. Even toothpaste can hold it short-term.
• Persistent or throbbing pain: call us for evaluation.
• Eating: don't chew on the treated side while numb, and until the tooth gets its crown, avoid crunchy or hard foods — the tooth is still weak and could fracture.
• Pain relief: take a pain reliever within an hour of leaving, before the anesthesia subsides. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) works well; if you can't take ibuprofen, use Tylenol. Avoid aspirin — it increases bleeding.
• Swelling: an ice pack over the area for 30 minutes when you get home helps.
• Smoking: avoid for 24–48 hours. Exercise: avoid strenuous activity for 24 hours.
• Important — follow-up: return within 3–4 weeks for your crown and build-up. The temporary filling material can leak bacteria if left too long, and an uncrowned tooth can fracture and be lost.
• Severe or throbbing pain: call us at (661) 857-7662.
• Break-in period: new dentures feel awkward at first — this is normal and improves with practice and patience.
• Looseness: if teeth were removed just before your denture, gums shrink as they heal (3–6 months). Temporary liners keep the fit snug during healing, then a permanent liner is placed.
• Sore spots: normal — call for an adjustment, and wear the denture 3–6 hours before that visit so we can find the exact spot.
• Eating: start soft, take small bites, chew slowly, and distribute food on both sides.
• Speaking: reading aloud speeds up adaptation.
• Daily cleaning: rinse after eating (warm — never hot — water), brush daily with a soft brush and mild soap or denture paste, and soak in water whenever it's out. Take it out at night to let your gums rest, and clean your mouth with a soft cloth and lukewarm salt water.
• Products: cleaners like Polident or Efferdent; adhesives like Fixodent or Poligrip.
• First 24–48 hours: do NOT remove the denture until the next morning — it protects the surgical site and controls swelling and bleeding. Light oozing around the denture is normal.
• First 3 mornings: wash hands, remove the denture carefully over the sink, rinse and brush it with cold water only (no soap or cleaners), gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1 tsp in 8 oz) without force, and put the denture back in.
• From day 4: take the denture out at bedtime, clean as above, and soak overnight in clean cold water. Continue salt water rinses for 7–10 days. No cleaning tablets or adhesive until instructed.
• Medications: take everything as prescribed. Ibuprofen is effective; avoid aspirin. You may alternate ibuprofen and Tylenol as instructed.
• Swelling: peaks 2–3 days after surgery, resolves over 4–7 days. Ice the outside of your face 15–20 minutes on, 15–20 minutes off, for the first 24 hours.
• Eating & activity: no spitting, rinsing forcefully, smoking, or straws — these dislodge the healing blood clots. Soft foods for the first days (soup, yogurt, pasta, eggs, bananas, smoothies), plenty of water, and no strenuous activity for 24–48 hours.
• See your dentist within a week of the extraction — call if you don't have that visit scheduled.
• For 48 hours, avoid anything that stains: berries, ketchup and red sauces, coffee, tea, cola, red wine, mustard, soy sauce, and tobacco. No colored toothpaste, mouthwash, or home fluoride during this window; wait a week before resuming chlorhexidine rinses.
• Sensitivity ("zingers"): can occur 12–24 hours after whitening. Use the Relief ACP gel in your take-home trays for 30 minutes (no eating, drinking, or rinsing for 30 minutes after). Advil, Motrin, or Tylenol and a sensitivity toothpaste like Sensodyne also help.
• Gum irritation (white spots): rinse with warm salt water; a drop of vitamin E oil massaged on the spot soothes it. Pause any take-home whitening until the tissue heals.
• Touch-ups: if your teeth aren't too sensitive, use the take-home products during the first 3–5 days to maximize your result. Store leftover gel in a cool, dry place or the refrigerator.
• Cleaning: brush gently with a soft toothbrush and toothpaste or antibacterial hand soap. Never soak in mouthwash, alcohol rinses, bleach, or harsh chemicals — and never boil it (it will warp). A denture-cleaner soak is fine up to 20 minutes, once a week.
• Storage: keep it in a dry case, and away from pets — dogs love to chew them.
• Fit: if the bite feels uneven, call us for a simple adjustment.
• Replacement: guards wear down over time — bring yours to your checkups so we can assess it.