TWINBROOK DENTAL CENTER
POST-OP INSTRUCTIONS
- Please take the medication that has been prescribed or dispensed at the office, exactly as directed. Antibiotic pills are prescribed. The entire bottle or prescription should be taken for the stated number of days or weeks.
- Make sure to keep your mouth as clean as possible in order to help with the healing process. ONLY brush and Waterpik the untreated area of your mouth. Do not brush, floss, interdental pick or Waterpik the treated area for 7-10 days, or as directed by your doctor. For the rest of the mouth, you will brush using MI Paste
- You may spit, and gently rinse your mouth the day of treatment.
a. Rinse your mouth gently 3 times a day with the iO Concentrate Rinse which will be dispensed to you with instructions. Additionally,
b. In between the iO Concentrate Rinses, rinse your mouth gently 3 times a day with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8oz. glass of warm water).
- Avoid any crunchy foods, sticky, chewy, gooey candies, foods that can fragment, popcorn, seeds, or foods with seeds, spicy or excessively hot foods during the initial 3-day liquid diet period. You can have protein shakes, milkshakes, ice cream, pudding, Jello, apple sauce, and other soft foods that can be effortlessly be cut using a spoon
- When eating, do not chew on the side of your mouth which has been treated.
- Some oozing of blood may occur, and will appear to be greatly exaggerated when it dissolves in saliva. Determine which side is oozing and place pressure on this area. If you cannot locate the origin of the bleeding, rinse your mouth gently with iced water, and apply a wet tea bag* to the general area.
- Swelling may possibly occur. To keep this at a minimum, gently place an ice pack on the outside of the face for 20 minutes-on, 20 minutes-off until you retire for sleep that night. Do not continue using the ice bag beyond the day of the periodontal surgery.
- Eliminate any physical activity for several hours following your surgery to maximize healing.
- Refrain from applying any excessive tongue or cheek pressure to the treated area.
- Do not be alarmed if one or more of the following occurs:
a. Light bleeding
b. Slight swelling
c. Some soreness, tenderness, or tooth sensitivity
d. Medicinal taste from the dispensed Rinse
- Do not be alarmed with any color changes or appearance of gum tissue following laser therapy. Gum tissue can turn gray, yellow, red, blue, purple, and “stringy” and reflects a normal response to laser treatments.
- Do not be alarmed, that beginning just 2 weeks after therapy, and extending as long as 1 year or more, the teeth may become sore and tender, as the bone, attachments and ligaments around the teeth start to regenerate and become firmer. This is a sign of healing, but also indicates the presence of a bite imbalance that may need to be adjusted. Bite adjustments may be frequently performed to ensure that the bite remains equal, with no excessive bite forces being exerted on any isolated areas
- You may notice that “spaces” between your teeth can start to appear. This is a result from reduction of the inflammation, swelling, and the removal of diseased tissue following the LANAP® treatment. These spaces, in most cases, usually fill in over time, and again, bite adjustments are critical to making sure, that the teeth and the “papilla” are not traumatized and can regrow.
- Please call the office immediately, so that we may render further treatment, if
You start to experience any of the following:
- Prolonged or severe pain (localized or all over)
- Bite feels high in one or more areas
b. Prolonged or excessive bleeding
c. Considerably elevated or persistent temperature.
If you should experience any problems after hours or on the weekend, please contact Dr. Dalal at 703-328-5316 or by email at drdalal@twinbrookdental.com