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You can check that you’re doing all that you can to ensure a speedy and comfortable recovery by following the advice below.

You will always be given verbal and written aftercare instructions when you start treatment at Church Street Dental Practice, however, should you forget what you’ve been told or lose your written instructions you can follow the advice below.

Aftercare Instructions:

Tooth Extractions:

Click here to watch a video with Dr Anita Kaila about aftercare post extraction.

  • Avoid mouthwash, mouth rinses, hot food and drinks and strenuous activity for the first 24 hours.
  • After 24 hours, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water (one teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water) 3-4 times per day, always after meals. Be very careful not to dislodge any blood clot in the tooth socket.
  • If the socket bleeds, apply pressure by biting down on a clean, rolled up handkerchief placed over the affected area for about 10 minutes. Repeat if still bleeding.
  • Take regular painkillers if needed.
  • Use a cold compress to ease swelling and sleeping propped up with an extra pillow can help.
  • Bruising of the jaw muscles can cause stiffness; this wears off after seven to ten days.
  • Eat a well-balanced, soft diet for a few days until you’re able to chew carefully with your remaining teeth.
  • Brush your teeth carefully, using a child’s toothbrush, taking care not to dislodge blood clots in the tooth socket; these prevent bleeding and help protect from infection.
  • Complete any course of antibiotics that you may have been given.
  • Avoid smoking as it affects the body’s ability to heal.
  • If pain or swelling worsens or you get a raised temperature, contact your dentist.

Invisalign:

Click here to watch a video with Dr Anita Kaila about aftercare post Invisalign treatment.

  • Take your retainers out when eating and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
  • Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a wet toothbrush (no toothpaste which scratches). Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent® or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used but do not take the place of brushing.
  • When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
  • Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately.
  • Always bring your retainers to your appointments. We will clean them for you!
  • Retainer replacement is expensive; with proper care they will last for years!
  • Remove retainers when swimming.
  • Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.

Composite Bonding:

Click here to watch a video with Dr Anita Kaila about composite bonding treatment.

  • For the first few days after treatment, your composite bonding will still be settling in place, and may be prone to staining.
  • Take care to avoid certain foods and drinks – especially hard or sticky foods that may cause the resin to shift. While composite bonding is exceptionally strong, the bond can take a day or so to properly adhere to the teeth.
  • Avoid things that can stain the teeth. Smoking and drinking coffee or red wine are not recommended if you have just had a composite bonding procedure. Again, this is because the materials used may not always be as hardwearing when first applied.

Here are some of the more long-term tips you can follow to protect your composite bonding.

  • Focus on oral hygiene. With composite bonding, you should take care of your teeth just as much as usual. This includes brushing twice a day (or more, if necessary), using dental floss, and rinsing with a quality mouthwash morning and night.
  • Protect teeth against damage. If you grind your teeth at night, your dentist may recommend a mouthguard or splint to protect the composite bonding material against continued friction. This can cause the resin to chip or file away over time – the same as it can happen with your natural teeth.
  • Visit your dentist regularly. Going for your 6-monthly check-ups is a must, even with composite bonding. In fact, these appointments can help your dentist determine whether there are any issues with the bonding process, as well as taking care of your overall dental health and hygiene. Having your teeth professionally cleaned and polished each year will also reduce the long-term potential for staining that can happen with composite bonding.

Following these tips can help your treatment last much longer. If your bonding does break or chip, you should contact us and book in to see your dentist as soon as possible – improving the chances they’ll be able to repair it properly.

Dental Implants:

After Implant Placement:

  • After the procedure there will be some discomfort and swelling. The degree of swelling will depend upon the number of implants placed and whether or not additional surgical procedures were carried out. Occasionally, along with the swelling there may also be slight bruising of the skin overlying the area which will fade over a week. If you are a smoker or have a pre-existing medical condition which affects soft tissue healing, the amount of swelling may be greater. The gum tissue in the region where the implants have been placed may change appearance/colour and take on a white appearance for a short time (normally two weeks) after surgery.
  • After 6-10 days, once the soft tissues have healed sufficiently the stitches may be removed. During this period it may not be possible to wear dentures or temporary restorations. After this stage the implants will usually be left undisturbed for up to six months to attach to the jawbone. During this period the top of the implant may show through the gum slightly and metal may become visible. Although this is normally no cause for concern, should it occur please contact the practice to have the area checked.

Aftercare Instructions:

  • Attend your recall appointments to check the condition of the implant(s) and to adjust the bite if required.
  • Regular six monthly appointments should be made as normal for dental check-ups.
  • You should book regular hygiene appointments as a build-up of plaque will cause problems and possible bone loss from around your implants.
  • If you have teeth and implants mixed together it is also very important to maintain the health of the natural teeth. Should the natural teeth become infected or are lost for any reason, the remaining implants may be damaged by the extra pressure caused by the additional workload.
  • It is important that you inform us immediately should you detect any mobility or loosening of your implant teeth.
  • Occasionally, the small screws which help to retain the crown become loose due to either heavy or abnormal biting. This is an easy matter to rectify if caught early as it entails retightening the screws and adjusting the bite or removing the cause of the loosening. Failure to resolve this early will result in possible fracture of the screw or even worse, damage to the implant.

Still need help?

Please contact us if you are having other issues, need advice or need to be seen again by one of our dentists. If you require emergency dental care outside of our opening hours, please contact 111.

Get in touch

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What our patient is saying

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“Great service throughout and friendly staff! Had composites from Anita and big shout out to nurse Susan who didn’t suck...”

R McKay

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D Hughes

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S Mallam

“Great!”

D Hoggin

“Really pleased with Pravin and Susan. Throughly recommend, Pravin went above and beyond for my comestic dental treatment and Susan...”

J Courtney

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Anonymous

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K Akers

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S Whalen

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D Miller

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N Anderson

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A McFeeley

“I have had composite bonding on 8 of my teeth by Anita and I couldn’t be happier! Exactly how I...”

C Cubby

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C Reed

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C Riseborough

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B Owens

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K Armstrong

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L Nixon

“Possibly the best dentist I’ve had if I’m totally honest , not only does the practice look amazing, the waiting...”

A Riseborough

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P White

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Church Street Dental Practice, 10 Church Street, Houghton le Spring, Durham, DH4 4DN. Telephone 0191 584 3247. CSDP (UK) Ltd trading as Church Street Dental Practice is a credit broker not a lender and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, 840271. Registered in England & Wales 07257396. Registered Address: 10 Church Street, Houghton le Spring, Durham, DH4 4DN.