A socket left by an extracted tooth normally fills up with a healthy blood clot, healing will then take place without trouble. However, if you bleed excessively, you should control it in the following ways

• Clean the mouth thoroughly
• Apply a clean dry gauze accurately over the socket, bite firmly to maintain pressure. Gauze will be given to you at the time of your appointment

In all cases of extraction please remember:

• Do NOT rinse at all today. The following day, gently rinse your mouth with ½ tsp of salt in a warm glass of water. ( As warm as you can bare, at least 3 times a day)
• Avoid food for the first hour and hot drinks for the day
• Do not interfere with the socket
• Paracetamol/ Nurofen may be taken after the anesthetic has worn off
• Avoid excessive use or undue exercise for 24 hours
• Avoid smoking for 24-48 hours If possible

If you experience undue pain, or should you feel the need for further attention please contact the surgery immediately.

DAY OF THE TREATMENT-

• Leave the denture in place until the next morning
• You may experience bleeding but leaving the denture in can help with this. If the bleeding is uncontrollable please contact our Surgery immediately
• You can eat and drink, we recommend starting with soft foods and slowly return to your normal diet.
• No swishing with water and nothing too hot
• It is normal to experience discomfort for the first 48 hours, each individual is different. Take pain relief such as Nurofen 4-6 hourly to help with the pain, start this before the anaesthesia wears off.
• Do not use asprin, this can lead to more bleeding
• The denture will feel bulky and foreign for the first few weeks while you get used to it. Practice eating and speaking with your new denture, this will become easier as time goes on and your muscles, lips and tongue adapt to the new denture.

TOMORROW-

• In the morning remove the denture. At your issue appointment the dentist would have show you how to remove your denture, follow these instructions and remove denture now. Your mouth can still be tender so remember to take care when removing the denture.
• Brush the denture with warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush then rinse well with water
• Rinse your mouth gently with warm salty water for 30 seconds. We emphasise gently in order to not disturb the blood clots in your extraction sockets. These promote healing
• Place the denture back in your mouth
• Continue to rinse gently with warm salty water for the next 3-5 days

We will make a follow up appointment to check your gums/ healing and to see how the denture if fitting after the gums have had time to settle down.
If you are experiencing any sore spots where the denture is rubbing please notify us as soon as possible. Remember this is a slow process of healing and your mouth accepting the new denture. Persistence is the key

WHAT CAN I EXPECT AFTER GETTING MY DENTURES?

• Dentures may feel bulky and foreign in your mouth
• You will notice more saliva
• They can move as you speak or eat until your gums settle, if you have had immediate dentures then the denture can be loose for some time. Once the gums settle you will most likely need a reline of the denture to make them fit better
• Speaking may be different
• There can be some discomfort and sore spots where the denture rubs on your gums, this can be corrected by booking an appointment where the Dentist will trim the denture, removing the sore spot.

WHAT TO BE CAREFUL OF WHEN USING MY DENTURES?

• Hot foods and drinks, dentures make it hard to tell how hot they really are

CLEANING:

-  Clean your dentures every day

• Clean them over a sink with a face-washer in there to avoid dropping and breaking the denture
• Use warm soapy water and a denture or normal toothbrush. Rinse well after cleaning
• Remove all denture adhesive if you have been using any
• Let your dentures dry and leave them out overnight

THINGS NOT TO DO:

• Do not soak them in hot water or leave them in a hot car
• Do not use chemicals on your dentures
• Do not adjust or modify your denture on your own

WHEN TO SEE A DENTAL PROFESSIONAL?

• For an adjustment to stop sore spots
• If you break your dentures

HOW DO I CARE FOR MY MOUTH WITH DENTURES?

• Rinse after each meal to remove excess food debris
• Clean your gums, tongue and remaining teeth if any with a soft toothbrush and your fluoride toothpaste
• If using denture adhesive make sure to remove this from your mouth
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day

EATING WITH MY DENTURES:

• Cut your food into small pieces
• Chew evenly on your denture (using both sides)
• Avoid sugary foods, the risk of getting a cavity in remaining teeth can be higher if the food gets caught under your denture or partial plate
• Start with eating soft foods and slowly return to your normal diet

If you have any concerns at all please contact the Clinic at which your denture was issued

Once you leave the dental surgery your anaesthesia should wear off between approximately 1-3 hours, it is different for each individual. It is very important not to chew on the numb side, this is to prevent biting your tongue, lip, cheek until the anaesthesia wears off.

Children should be observed until the anaesthesia has worn off. Due to the strange feeling of the anaesthetic, many children chew on the inside of their cheeks, lips and tongue which can cause serious damage.

Your tooth and or teeth may be sensitive to hot, cold or pressure from this procedure. This is completely normal. If you have any concerns don’t hesitate to call. Our friendly staff at Local Dental will call you within 2 days of your treatment to check everything is ok.

The possible sensitivity will cease within a few days to a couple of weeks.

Once the anaesthesia has worn off, if you feel as though any of your teeth we have worked on are hitting first when you bite down, please call us. We need to check if the filling is sitting too high, this is a simple task where we get you to bite on articulating paper which will show us any signs of a high spot. If so then it needs to be slightly trimmed. If the tooth is not checked it may continue to be painful on biting and sensitive

The gum tissue could have been irritated during the procedure and may be sore for a few days. The anaesthetic injection site may also feel sore or bruised.

If you have any other concerns please call the Surgery