Instructions from the doctor
Doctor's instructions are crucial for patients after surgery as they provide guidance on behavior, oral hygiene maintenance, and overall health improvement. This guide emphasizes the importance of these instructions, providing guidance on proper postoperative care and highlighting the significance of maintaining oral hygiene to accelerate recovery and reduce the risk of complications.
Our recommendations after:
tooth extraction, artificial bone grafting, and implant placement
All surgical procedures in the mouth pose a certain level of stress, causing patients to sometimes forget the doctor's instructions after the procedure. To prevent this from happening, we provide our recommendations in written form here!
General instructions
Do not touch the wound and avoid pulling the cheek to see it. Avoid chewing on the
surgical area until the wound heals.
Do not smoke for 24 hours after the procedure –
smoke and negative pressure from smoking irritate the wound and provoke bleeding.
Do not brush the wound area for 24 hours after the procedure; thereafter, maintain
hygiene with a soft brush using gentle pressure.
If you notice anything unusual,
contact the clinic!
Rinsing
Avoid rinsing the wound for 24 hours after the procedure to prevent washing away
the blood clot crucial for proper healing.
On the second day, it is good to gently rinse
with sage tea, which aids in wound closure, and/or with solutions based on
chlorhexidine (0.12%, e.g., Curasept, Belosept) for oral cavity disinfection.
Rinse
every 4-6 hours.
Bleeding
Bleeding after surgical procedures in healthy patients generally should stop within a
few minutes.
It is recommended to hold a sterile gauze tightly pressed between the
teeth at the wound for about 20 minutes.
Blood traces in the mouth are normal for
some time, but if heavier bleeding continues, contact the doctor.
Pain
Moderate pain is a normal occurrence, especially after the anesthesia wears off.
To
alleviate pain, you can use an analgesic (Ketonal acute, Voltaren rapid, Brufen,
Neofen...) that should not be taken on an empty stomach or more than 3-4 times a
day.
If the pain is of high intensity and persists for several days, contact your doctor.
It is not recommended to take Aspirin or Andol as they prolong blood clotting time.
Swelling
To reduce or prevent swelling, hold an ice pack in a towel or fabric (not directly on
the skin!) on the surgical area from the outside of the face during the first day after
the procedure.
Keep the ice for 20 minutes, then remove it, and repeat the process
every hour.
Less swelling = less pain!
Food
Eat normally, but avoid very hot and heavily spiced food.
Colder drinks, ice cream, or
yogurt are recommended, as well as softer food.
It is important to consume enough
fluids. Avoid using straws.
Instructions for maintaining oral hygiene
Brushing
- Use a soft brush with a high number of bristles (e.g., Curaprox 5460).
- Change the brush every 3 months.
- Brush for 4-5 minutes, twice a day, in the morning and evening.
- Place half of the brush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line and half on the teeth.
- Brush with gentle circular, vibrating, almost silent movements, applying pen-like pressure. The circle of brushing movement must be smaller than the size of the tooth crown.
- Always have a brushing system to cover all surfaces (up: surround the teeth from right to left externally, then around the back teeth move to the internal surfaces, occlusal surfaces, then down); Change the system occasionally because at the beginning of brushing, you are more precise and concentrated than at the end.
- Brush at least 20, preferably 60 minutes after the last meal or drink (except water). Food and especially some carbonated and sweet drinks lower the pH in the mouth, eroding the tooth surface (enamel), and it takes some time for the minerals from saliva to be reintegrated into the crystal lattice of hard tooth tissue. If we don't wait for this time, we remove small layers of teeth with a brush.
Interdental Cleaning
- Use the appropriate size of an interdental brush depending on the width of the interdental spaces; the larger the brush, the better. Note on a diagram where each size of the brush passes. Where the smallest brush does not pass, use dental floss.
- Insert the brush into the space between two teeth in the part closest to the gum line – try to find the direction in which it passively passes between the teeth without resistance; do not push it towards the gum line (do not thrust into the gum).
- Clean interdental spaces once a day, and only one inward- outward movement with the brush is sufficient.
- Change the brush when its bristles are "worn out" – approximately every 7-14 days.
- Dental floss: Tear off about 20 cm of dental floss/thread. When inserting floss/thread between teeth, try to keep the distance between the fingers that tension it as small as possible for easier control of floss/thread when inserting it between teeth. The insertion movements are like sawing (forward-backward) until you have passed the point where adjacent teeth are joined (contact point). Once you pass that point, press the floss/thread against the tooth surface and gently move the floss/thread towards the tip of the crown, i.e., the gum line; repeat this on the other surface of the adjacent tooth.
Instructions for maintaining oral hygiene
with fixed prosthetic work and implants
After implantation, you will take care of dental implants in the same way as your
natural teeth. To ensure the longevity of dental implants, periodic X-rays and an
annual examination are mandatory. Furthermore, it is necessary to visit the dentist
every 6 months for an examination and cleaning, just like with natural teeth.
With regular maintenance using brushes, interdental brushing, mouthwashes, and
visits to the dentist, implants can last a lifetime!
Instructions for maintaining oral hygiene
with removable prosthetic work (dentures)
1. WHEN THE DENTURE IS NOT IN THE MOUTH, PLACE IT IN WATER
When the denture is not in the mouth, it should be in water because the material
from which the denture base is made is sensitive to a lack of water.
If you leave the
denture on a table or in the bathroom on the sink, it will become brittle and fragile,
and you will soon be looking for another one.
Occasionally use special tablets for
cleaning (disinfecting) the denture, such as Corega tablets, Protefix, Blend-a-dent...
Cleaning tablet for dentures is additional prevention for bacteria and plaque
formation. Due to its antibacterial and disinfectant properties, it prevents irritation
caused by plaque and gum. Remember that they help maintain hygiene and are not
a substitute for brushing the denture.
Rinse the denture with water before putting it
back into the mouth.
2. HANDLE THE DENTURE WITH CARE
The denture was not so cheap, right? Since it is easy to break and damage, you
should be very careful with it. In case the denture slips from your hands, it is
recommended to wash it over a towel placed in the sink to avoid potential breakage.
We advise against cleaning the denture with stiff brushes and strong cleaning
agents, and when wearing it, avoid picking at the teeth.
3. CLEAN THE DENTURE DAILY
Just because they are not real teeth doesn't mean they don't need regular cleaning,
as artificial teeth can still develop cavities and tartar on healthy teeth. If the denture
surface is covered with plaque (soft deposits on the teeth), it can cause irritation and
infection under the gum tissue, leading to more severe oral problems.
Since plaque
is firmly attached to the denture surface, it needs to be removed by thorough
brushing.
Special brushes with different constructions and dimensions, often with two
differently sized brushes on the head, are used for denture brushing. The larger
brush is for cleaning flat surfaces, and the smaller one cleans the teeth and the
space between them.
If you don't have such a brush at home, a regular one will be
sufficient. Make sure to brush all surfaces thoroughly, especially the teeth on the
denture and the spaces between them.
It is recommended to brush the denture after
every meal.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO THE HYGIENE OF THE ENTIRE ORAL CAVITY
Even if you have a complete denture that replaces all teeth, you should regularly
brush the oral cavity.
Brush the gums with a soft brush and massage the gums with a
towel. It is also good to rinse your mouth approximately two to three times a week
with a disinfectant solution.
For partial dentures, brush all teeth and clean them with
dental floss.
5. SECURE THE DENTURE PROPERLY
When placing the denture, it is important to secure it well. You have the option of
using fixing powder or fixing cream.
Fixing powder is an ideal solution when the
denture does not adhere well, and you normally salivate. The powder is natural,
preservative-free, and tasteless, and it is applied easily.
Fixing cream is an ideal
solution for fixing the denture in case of increased saliva secretion. It is easy to
apply, secures well, has no taste, so it does not change the taste of food and drinks.
It does not leave a free space between the denture and the gums, preventing
inflammation by preventing the accumulation of food.
If you choose fixing cream, we recommend Corega creams. They prevent food
buildup, have no additional flavors, and are suitable for total and partial dentures.
In
addition, Corega creams act as a filler that further prevents the accumulation of food
particles under the gum, and the flat tip of the tube allows more precise and easier
application of the cream to the denture.
6. REGULAR VISITS TO THE DENTIST
A dental prosthesis provides excellent support for the jaw only if it fits perfectly, but it
is possible that it will loosen over time. The gums and bones in the oral cavity
constantly change, which can shift the denture from the correct position. Only then
can real problems occur.
The jaw no longer has support, the shape of the face can
change slightly, and wrinkles can form on the skin.
If you are not sure if the denture
is firm enough, here are a few signs that it has loosened, and you need to visit the
dentist:
you feel pain and discomfort in the oral cavity
the denture makes clicking
sounds
eating is difficult
speaking is difficult
Finally, we recommend that you visit the dentist if the denture is older than 3 years.
Your dentist will tell you whether you need a new denture or not.
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