Post Operative Care

1. Before your child’s next dental visit, Dr. Molzahn would like your child to take a dose of benadryl. Benadryl has an effect of temporarily reducing the salivary flow. If the teeth are not as “wet” the procedure is easier for your child, and for the doctor. Another side benefit is that benadryl may allow your child to feel a little tired, so he/she will be more relaxed while the doctor is working.
2. We request that you read the package directions for your child’s correct dosage, based on his/her age and weight. Please take this dose one hour before the dental appointment.

1. The fluoride varnish should remain on the teeth for 4-6 hours.
2. Do not brush or floss during the treatment period.
3. Eat a soft food diet and avoid hot beverages and alcohol during the treatment period.
4. Refrain from using other fluoride products and rinses today.
5. A thorough brushing and flossing will remove any remaining traces of the varnish after the 4-6 hour treatment period.
6. Following brushing, your teeth will resume their normal appearance and brightness.

• Today you have received a custom fit dental appliance that is designed to protect your teeth and gum tissues from a clenching / grinding habit and to alleviate TMJ (temporal mandibular joint) pain and possible headaches associated with your habit.
• Prior to inserting your appliance at bedtime, brush and floss your teeth as recommended by our office. It is advised that you wear your bite plane consistently for the best results. Most people have very few problems adjusting to wearing their bite plane, however some minor adjustments may be required after having worn the bite plane for several weeks. Please call the office to schedule an appointment for any adjustments that might be needed.
• In the morning, remove your bite plane and brush it with a toothbrush and liquid soap and rinse with room temperature water. You may want to purchase a “denture” brush to use. At weekly intervals soak your bite plane in a commercial denture cleaning solution. Store your appliance out of reach of pets and children. Please bring your bite plane with you to your regular professional cleaning visits, and our staff will be glad to clean it for you in our ultrasonic cleaner.

1. You can eat or drink immediately following sealant application. They are completely hardened.
2. Avoid chewing ice and sticky or hard candy. These can break and remove sealants.
3. Continue to regularly brush and floss.
4. Sealants may feel like your bite is different tonight. This is normal and will subside over the next few days as the excess material wears off, leaving only what is needed in the deepest grooves.
5. We will examine the sealants during your regular cleaning appointments and repair or replace them as needed. We guarantee your sealants for 3 years.

We are pleased to provide you with well-fitting, functional, and aesthetically-pleasing partial dentures. We feel confident that after a few weeks of adjustment, you will enjoy years of satisfaction and use. In the meantime, the following is information you need to know.

1. Your First Few Weeks. New partial dentures always feel strange when first placed in your mouth. Several days or even a few weeks will be required for you to feel accustomed to them.
2. Sore Spots. Your mouth will most likely develop a few sore spots within the first 24 hours of wearing your partial dentures. This is to be expected, and such sore spots can be easily relieved by your doctor. An initial 24-hour re-adjustment appointment should be made, and another appointment about a week later will usually eliminate any other sore spots.
3. Chewing. Your new “bite” may not feel comfortable for a period of days. We will adjust the contacting surfaces of your teeth after 24 hours, and again in about one week after the partial dentures have “settled” into place.
4. Caring for Your Partial Dentures and Your Mouth. Your partial dentures can be cleaned easily by using a denture brush and toothpaste. Clean them over a sink full of water to avoid damage if they are dropped. Use special care to clean parts of the partial denture that contact any natural teeth. Both the partial denture and the natural teeth must be kept very clean on a daily basis to reduce the chance of developing new dental decay. Use an ADA approved toothpaste containing fluoride. Denture soaking solutions are also useful for the partial denture. Brush your gums with a soft-bristled toothbrush once per day to toughen and clean them. You may leave the partial dentures in or out of your mouth at night, depending on your preference. If they are out of your mouth, ALWAYS leave them soaking in water or mouthwash solution. The plastic part of your partial dentures will become brittle if left exposed to air.
5. The Future. Your jawbones and gum shrink up to 1/32 of an inch per year when your teeth are missing. This is one of the main disadvantages of dentures. Because of this shrinkage, you should plan to have your partial dentures and oral tissues evaluated by us at least once per year. We will inform you when relining or rebasing of the partial dentures is necessary. Wearing ill-fitting partial dentures for too long without refitting can cause severe bone loss and very serious oral disease. Even partial dentures that “fit” comfortably need to be checked along with your tissues.

1. Maintain gentle pressure by biting on the gauze for at least 30 minutes. If bleeding continues, replace with gauze provided or place a dampened tea bag on the socket with pressure for 30 minutes.
2. No rinsing, drinking through a straw, or using mouthwash for 24 hours. After 24 hours, rinse with warm salt water every 1-2 hours. (1/2 teaspoon in 8 ounces warm water.)
3. Take Tylenol or prescribed medication as needed. Some discomfort is normal after an extraction.
4. Intake of adequate food and water following extractions is important. If eating your regular diet is too difficult, try a liquid diet.
5. AVOID excessive activity, alcoholic beverages, spicy foods, and scrubbing the area with a toothbrush. Refrain from smoking until healing is well established.

• Ibuprofen 400mg (2 tablets Motrin/Advil/Generic)
• Acetaminophen 1000mg (2 extra strength Tylenol/Generic)
• Take Ibuprofen 400mg and Acetaminophen 1000mg together every 6 hours for pain. This combination has been scientifically proven to control pain better than opioid prescriptions.

1. Avoid eating or drinking for 3 hours after cementation to allow the cement to set.
2. Tooth sensitivity is common and should subside after several weeks. If your bite feels uneven or if you experience other problems, please contact our office.
3. As with natural teeth, you should avoid chewing excessively hard foods (ice, raw carrots, hard candy, etc.) to reduce the risk of fracturing the porcelain on your crown or bridge.

1. When anesthetic has been used, your lip, tongue, and teeth may be numb for 3-6 hours. Avoid chewing and hot drinks until numbness is completely gone.
2. Sensitivity to hot or cold is likely to occur and varies for every patient. Sensitivity may last 2-3 weeks but can last longer. If sensitivity does not decrease, please contact our office. A bite adjustment or additional treatment may be necessary.
3. The gum tissue around the filling may be irritated, and it is common to have tenderness at the injection site. You may also experience muscle/jaw pain from holding your mouth open. Ibuprofen (Advil) or Tylenol, along with salt water rinses, will help reduce these symptoms.
4. Your new filling may have different contours and have a different texture than your original tooth. Your tongue may magnify this small difference, but you should become accustomed to this in a few days.
5. As with natural teeth, you should avoid chewing excessively and hard foods (ice, raw carrots, hard candy, etc.) to reduce the risk of tooth fracture or damage to your composite filling.

1. When anesthetic has been used, your lip, tongue, and teeth may be numb for 3-6 hours. Avoid chewing and hot drinks until the numbness is completely gone.
2. The gum tissue around the tooth may be irritated, and it is common to have tenderness at the injection site. You may also experience muscle/jaw pain from holding your mouth open. Ibuprofen (Advil) or Tylenol, along with warm salt water rinses, will reduce these symptoms.
3. Root canal therapy often takes 2 or more appointments to complete. A temporary filling is placed to protect the tooth between appointments. It is common (and not a problem) for a small portion of the temporary filling to wear away or break off. If the entire filling falls out, call our office so it can be replaced.
4. To help keep your temporary filling in place, you should avoid eating sticky or hard foods, and chewing gum. If possible, chew on the opposite side of your mouth.
5. It is normal to experience some discomfort for a few days after a root canal appointment, especially when chewing. To control discomfort, take pain medication as recommended. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take all of the medication for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.
6. It is important to continue to brush and floss normally.

The crown and bridge procedure takes two visits. The first visit includes preparation of the teeth and placement of a temporary crown. The second visit is to custom-fit and cement the permanent crown.

1. When anesthetic has been used, your lip, tongue, and teeth may be numb for 3-6 hours. Avoid chewing and hot drinks until the numbness is completely gone.
2. The gum tissue around the tooth may be irritated, and it is common to have tenderness at the injection site. You may also experience muscle/jaw pain from holding your mouth open. Ibuprofen (Advil) or Tylenol, along with warm salt water rinses, will reduce these symptoms.
3. You will be wearing a temporary crown until the final restoration is placed. To help keep your temporary in place, you should avoid eating sticky or hard foods, and chewing gum. If possible, chew on the opposite side of your mouth.
4. If your temporary crown comes off, place it back on your tooth with a small dab of toothpaste until you can come into the office to have us recement it. It is important that this temporary remain in place to hold the space for the permanent crown. It is common for your tooth to be sensitive to cold, hot, and sweets while wearing a temporary crown.
5. It is important to continue to brush normally, but modify your floss technique. In that area, carefully pull the floss down between the teeth as usual, but then pull the floss out from the side.
6. At your second visit, we will custom fit and cement your crown. We advise you to not eat or drink for 3 hours after this visit to allow the cement to completely set.

Please call us at 614-846-2222 if you have questions or concerns that can’t be answered by these instructions