Patient education reference
Dental post-op instructions
Use this library when your dental team has pointed you here after a visit. Practice-specific instructions always come first. These pages are general education for common dental procedures and are not a substitute for advice from the dentist or specialist who treated you.
Use your practice’s instructions first.
If your dentist, hygienist, oral surgeon, periodontist, endodontist, pediatric dentist, or dental team gave you different instructions, follow those instructions. Call the dental office directly if symptoms feel unexpected, severe, or different from what you were told to expect.
Direct links for follow-up emails
Practice teams can use the procedure links below when they do not have a practice-specific handout ready. Each link opens the relevant instruction section on this page.
General post-op careOpen
Local anesthesia careOpen
Conscious sedationOpen
Nitrous oxide, adultOpen
Nitrous oxide, pediatricOpen
Composite fillingsOpen
CrownsOpen
BridgesOpen
VeneersOpen
Inlays and onlaysOpen
ExtractionsOpen
Pediatric extractionsOpen
Implant placementOpen
Sinus liftOpen
BiopsyOpen
AlveoloplastyOpen
FrenectomyOpen
Scaling and root planingOpen
Periodontal laser therapyOpen
Root canal therapyOpen
Pulpotomy or pulpectomyOpen
Pediatric pulp therapyOpen
SealantsOpen
Pediatric fillingsOpen
Pediatric sedationOpen
Important: these links are general education only. A practice’s own post-op forms, prescriptions, surgical notes, and provider instructions should override this page.
Call the dental office promptly if any of these occur
- Bleeding that does not slow with steady pressure or gets heavier.
- Increasing swelling, drainage, bad taste, or fever after the first day.
- Pain that worsens instead of gradually improving.
- Rash, itching, severe nausea, or a reaction after medication.
- Numbness that lasts longer than your dental team said to expect.
- A crown, bridge, temporary, filling, stitch, or appliance feels loose or comes out.
- Difficulty swallowing, breathing, chest pain, or uncontrolled bleeding. Seek emergency care immediately.
- Anything that feels concerning, especially after oral surgery or sedation.
General and sedation care
General post-op care
General- Rest after treatment if you feel tired, sore, numb, or lightheaded.
- Eat soft foods until chewing feels comfortable. Avoid chewing while your mouth is still numb.
- Drink water and avoid alcohol until your dental team says it is safe.
- Brush and floss gently, avoiding surgical sites or tender areas unless instructed otherwise.
- Take prescribed or recommended medication only as directed by your dental team.
- Use cold packs for swelling only if your dental team recommended them.
- Avoid smoking, vaping, and tobacco after surgery because they can slow healing.
- Call the office if pain, swelling, bleeding, or bite discomfort is getting worse.
Local anesthesia care
Numbness- Do not chew food, gum, or ice until numbness has fully worn off.
- Be careful with hot drinks because numb lips, cheeks, and tongue may not sense heat well.
- Children should be watched closely so they do not bite, suck, or chew the numb lip or cheek.
- Mild soreness at the injection site can happen after dental anesthetic.
- Your bite may feel different after a new filling, crown, or restoration. Call if it feels high or painful.
- Call the office if numbness lasts longer than expected or if you develop swelling, rash, or worsening pain.
Conscious sedation
Sedation- Follow the written instructions from the sedation provider exactly.
- Do not drive, drink alcohol, sign legal documents, or operate machinery until your provider says it is safe.
- Have a responsible adult stay with you for the period recommended by the dental office.
- Start with clear liquids or light food only if your provider said eating is safe.
- Take prescription medication only as directed and do not combine medicines unless approved by your provider.
- Sleepiness, forgetfulness, and mild nausea can occur after sedation.
- Seek urgent help for trouble breathing, chest pain, repeated vomiting, fainting, or symptoms that feel severe.
Nitrous oxide, adult
Nitrous- Nitrous oxide usually wears off quickly after oxygen is given at the end of the visit.
- Wait until you feel steady, alert, and cleared by the dental team before leaving.
- Eat and drink based on your procedure instructions, not the nitrous alone.
- Mild nausea, headache, or grogginess can happen but should improve.
- Avoid alcohol or sedating medication unless your provider says it is safe.
- Call the office if nausea, dizziness, or unusual symptoms continue after you leave.
Nitrous oxide, pediatric
Pediatric- Watch your child until they are fully alert and steady.
- Follow the dental team’s food and drink instructions, especially if local anesthetic was used.
- Prevent lip, cheek, or tongue biting while the mouth is numb.
- Quiet activity is best until your child feels normal again.
- Call the office if your child has repeated vomiting, unusual sleepiness, breathing concerns, or symptoms that worry you.
- Use pain medication only if and how the dental team instructed.
Restorative procedures
Composite fillings
Restorative- Do not chew until numbness has worn off.
- Tooth sensitivity to cold, pressure, or chewing can happen for a short period.
- Avoid very hard or sticky foods on the treated tooth until it feels comfortable.
- Brush and floss normally unless your dental team gave different instructions.
- Call if your bite feels high, chewing hurts, or sensitivity worsens instead of improving.
- Call if part of the filling feels sharp, loose, or missing.
Crowns
Restorative- If you have a temporary crown, avoid sticky, chewy, or very hard foods on that side.
- Floss gently around a temporary crown. Pull floss out sideways if your dental team instructed you to.
- Some temperature sensitivity can occur while the tooth settles.
- Call if the temporary crown comes off, feels loose, or your bite feels high.
- After the final crown, keep brushing and flossing around the gumline every day.
- Call if chewing pain, pressure pain, or gum swelling persists.
Bridges
Restorative- Avoid sticky or very hard foods if you are wearing a temporary bridge.
- Clean under the bridge as instructed with floss threaders, proxy brushes, or other recommended tools.
- Mild gum tenderness can happen after preparation or cementation.
- Call if the bridge feels loose, high, sharp, or uncomfortable when biting.
- Do not ignore trapped food or bad taste around a bridge. It may need cleaning guidance or evaluation.
- Keep scheduled follow-up or final seating appointments.
Veneers
Cosmetic- If temporary veneers were placed, avoid biting directly into hard foods.
- Some gum soreness or temperature sensitivity can occur after tooth preparation.
- Brush gently along the gumline and follow flossing instructions from your dental team.
- Call if a temporary or final veneer feels loose, sharp, or high when biting.
- Avoid using veneer teeth to open packages, bite nails, or chew ice.
- If you grind or clench, use the nightguard or appliance your dentist recommends.
Inlays and onlays
Restorative- Do not chew while numb.
- If a temporary restoration was placed, avoid sticky or hard foods on that tooth.
- Temperature sensitivity can occur while the tooth recovers.
- Call if the temporary comes out or the tooth feels rough, sharp, or painful.
- After the final inlay or onlay is placed, call if your bite feels high.
- Clean normally unless your dental team gave different instructions.
Surgical procedures
Extractions
Surgery- Bite on gauze with steady pressure as instructed. Replace gauze only as directed.
- Do not rinse hard, spit forcefully, drink through a straw, smoke, vape, or disturb the clot during early healing.
- Choose soft foods and chew away from the extraction area.
- After the first day, gentle warm salt-water rinses may be recommended by your dental team.
- Some oozing, swelling, bruising, and soreness can be expected after an extraction.
- Take medications only as directed and finish antibiotics only if prescribed.
- Call if bleeding does not slow, pain increases after initial improvement, swelling worsens, or you notice fever, pus, bad taste, or exposed bone.
Pediatric extractions
Pediatric- Keep your child from chewing the numb lip, cheek, or tongue.
- Use gauze only as directed and remove it before sleep or if your child cannot safely keep it in place.
- Offer soft foods and avoid straws until the dental team says they are safe.
- Quiet activity is best for the rest of the day unless your dental team says otherwise.
- Give medication only as directed for the child’s age and weight.
- Call if bleeding continues, pain is worsening, your child will not drink fluids, or anything feels concerning.
Implant placement
Surgery- Do not disturb the implant site with fingers, tongue, toothbrush bristles, or water devices unless instructed.
- Eat soft foods and chew away from the implant area.
- Avoid smoking, vaping, and tobacco because they can interfere with healing.
- Limit strenuous activity for the time period your surgeon recommends.
- Take prescribed medication only as directed.
- Follow cleaning instructions carefully. Implant sites often need gentle but consistent hygiene.
- Call if the implant cap feels loose, bleeding continues, swelling worsens, or pain increases after initial improvement.
Sinus lift
Surgery- Follow your surgeon’s sinus precautions exactly.
- Do not blow your nose until your surgeon says it is safe.
- If you sneeze, keep your mouth open to reduce pressure.
- Avoid straws, smoking, vaping, and pressure changes unless cleared by your surgeon.
- Take prescribed medications only as directed.
- Call if you feel air or liquid passing between the mouth and nose.
- Call for nose bleeding that does not stop, worsening swelling, fever, pus, or severe sinus pressure.
Biopsy
Surgery- Protect the biopsy area and avoid picking at it with your tongue or fingers.
- Eat softer foods if the area is tender.
- Brush carefully nearby and rinse only as instructed.
- Small amounts of soreness or spotting can occur.
- Call if bleeding continues, swelling worsens, stitches come loose early, or the area becomes increasingly painful.
- Keep the follow-up appointment for results or healing review.
Alveoloplasty
Surgery- Follow extraction or oral surgery instructions from your dental team.
- Protect the surgical area from chewing pressure, straws, smoking, vaping, and vigorous rinsing during early healing.
- Use soft foods and keep nutrition and hydration steady.
- Some swelling, bruising, and soreness can happen.
- Do not pull at stitches or inspect the area aggressively.
- Call if bleeding, pain, swelling, fever, or drainage worsens.
Frenectomy
Surgery- Follow stretching or movement exercises only if your provider prescribed them.
- Keep the area clean without scraping or picking at the healing tissue.
- Choose foods that do not sting or scrape the area.
- A white or yellow healing film can be normal, but worsening redness, swelling, pus, or fever is not.
- Call if bleeding continues, pain worsens, or the area reattaches in a way your provider warned about.
- Keep follow-up visits, especially for infants, children, or speech and feeding concerns.
Periodontal care
Scaling and root planing
Gum care- Gum tenderness, light bleeding, and temperature sensitivity can happen after deep cleaning.
- Brush gently but keep cleaning the teeth and gumline unless told otherwise.
- Use any rinse, gel, or home-care tool only as directed.
- Avoid very spicy, crunchy, or acidic foods if your gums are sore.
- Call if swelling, pus, fever, or pain worsens.
- Keep periodontal maintenance visits. Healing depends on consistent home care and follow-up.
Periodontal laser therapy
Gum care- Follow the exact cleaning and rinsing instructions from your periodontal provider.
- Soft foods may be more comfortable for the first day or two.
- Avoid poking the treated area or pulling at tissue as it heals.
- Some tenderness or color change in the treated gum tissue can occur.
- Call if bleeding, swelling, drainage, fever, or pain increases.
- Keep recommended maintenance visits so gum healing can be measured.
Endodontic care
Root canal therapy
Endodontic- Do not chew on the treated tooth until numbness is gone and your provider says chewing is safe.
- If a temporary filling was placed, avoid sticky or hard foods on that tooth.
- Some soreness to pressure can happen as the ligament around the tooth calms down.
- Take medications only as directed.
- Return to your general dentist for the final restoration or crown if one is needed.
- Call if swelling develops, the temporary filling comes out, or pain worsens instead of improving.
Pulpotomy or pulpectomy
Endodontic- Avoid chewing while numb.
- If the tooth has a temporary filling or temporary crown, avoid hard and sticky foods.
- Mild soreness can occur after treatment.
- Keep the next appointment if treatment is staged.
- Call if swelling, fever, bad taste, or worsening pain develops.
- Call if the temporary restoration feels loose or missing.
Pediatric pulp therapy
Pediatric- Watch your child closely while numb so they do not chew the lip, cheek, or tongue.
- Use soft foods until chewing feels normal.
- If a crown was placed, avoid sticky candy and hard foods that could pull or damage it.
- Give medication only as directed for your child’s age and weight.
- Brush the area gently and keep normal oral hygiene as tolerated.
- Call if swelling, fever, worsening pain, or refusal to drink occurs.
Pediatric care
Sealants
Pediatric- Your child can usually eat after sealants unless the dental team gave different instructions.
- The bite may feel slightly different at first and often settles quickly.
- Continue brushing and flossing. Sealants do not replace home care.
- Avoid chewing ice, hard candy, or sticky candy that can chip or pull at sealants.
- Call if your child says the bite feels uncomfortable or something feels sharp.
- Sealants should be checked at routine dental visits.
Pediatric fillings
Pediatric- Do not let your child chew until numbness has worn off.
- Watch for lip, cheek, or tongue biting after local anesthesia.
- Soft foods are safest until your child can chew normally.
- Some sensitivity can occur after a filling.
- Call if the bite seems uncomfortable, your child avoids chewing, or pain worsens.
- Help your child brush and floss consistently to protect the filling.
Pediatric sedation
Sedation- Follow the sedation provider’s written instructions exactly.
- Keep your child supervised for the recommended period after the appointment.
- Offer food and drink only when your dental team says it is safe.
- Keep activity quiet for the rest of the day or as instructed.
- Do not give extra medication unless the dental team approved it.
- Watch for repeated vomiting, unusual sleepiness, breathing changes, rash, or behavior that concerns you.
- Seek urgent care for trouble breathing, blue lips, inability to wake, or severe symptoms.