Aftercare Advice: What to Do After Your Treatment

Q: What if I lose or break an aligner?

Ring us that day. Depending on your stage of treatment, we'll normally have you switch back to your last set or start the next set slightly early, and we'll order a replacement if you need one. Hold on to every set of aligners until we say otherwise, so you always have something to fall back on.

Q: Can I eat straight after a filling?

A composite filling is set with a light before you leave, so you can eat as normal when the numbness has gone. Do wait for that, though, because without feeling it's easy to bite your tongue or cheek and not notice.

What we tell you in the chair at Comely Bank, set down here so you can check it at home. If something concerns you, ring 0131 332 3971 between 9am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday; at other times, call NHS 24 on 111.

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This is general guidance for adults. Your own dentist's instructions come first, and any medicine should be taken as the packet directs.

After an Extraction

Bite on gauze for 20 to 30 minutes, then rest for the day with your head up

For 24 hours, avoid rinsing, spitting, straws, smoking, alcohol and hot drinks; the clot heals the socket

From the following day, rinse gently after meals with warm salt water

Eat soft food on the opposite side for a few days; take painkillers as directed before numbness fades

After surgical extractions, swelling and stiffness peak around days two to three, then ease

Call us if pressure doesn't stop the bleeding, or if pain is worsening instead of improving after day three.

After Implant Surgery

For the first few hours, a cold pack on your cheek: ten minutes on, ten off

Chew soft, cool food on the side away from the implant; for the first week, nothing hot, crunchy or sharp

Don't rinse for 24 hours, then use warm salt water after meals; from day two, brush gently around the stitches

No smoking, and no strenuous exercise for two days

If you were sedated, have an adult with you, and avoid driving, alcohol and big decisions for 24 hours

Call us if the swelling keeps increasing after day three, you develop a fever, or anything feels loose. For the full timeline, see our surgery day guide.

After a Filling

Hold off eating until the numbness has gone, so you don't accidentally bite your tongue or cheek

Mild cold sensitivity for a week or two is to be expected

Come back if your bite feels high on the filling; it only takes minutes to adjust

You can brush and clean between your teeth as usual that same day

Call us if the sensitivity is increasing instead of fading, or the tooth starts aching by itself.

After Root Canal Treatment

Some tenderness when biting is normal for a few days; ordinary painkillers as directed

Until the tooth has its final restoration, don't chew hard food on it, particularly while a temporary filling is in

Lost a temporary filling between visits? Call us so we can keep the canals sealed

If we recommended a crown or onlay, book it soon; without one, a root-filled back tooth can crack

Call us if swelling develops, or the pain is still worsening a few days on.

After a Crown, Bridge or Veneer Is Fitted

While a temporary is on, avoid sticky food, chew on the opposite side and pull floss out sideways

Once the permanent restoration is bonded, eat as usual when the numbness wears off

Any mild sensitivity, and the slightly 'different' feel, fade in a few days

Clean beneath a bridge every day with superfloss or an interdental brush; floss veneer edges gently

Grind your teeth? Wear a night guard

Call us if your bite feels high, something works loose, or a temporary falls off.

After Composite Bonding

Eating and drinking right away is fine, as the composite is fully set before you go

Take it easy with coffee, red wine, curry and other staining foods for the first couple of days

While you get used to the bonded teeth, avoid biting hard things with them

Use non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste, not whitening paste, and pull floss out sideways

About two weeks on, we see you again for a bite check and polish

Call us if biting feels high on one of the teeth, or an edge chips. There's more in our bonding aftercare guide.

While Whitening at Home

Follow your plan for how long to wear the trays, don't overfill them, and wipe gel off your gums

Some sensitivity is expected; if it's sharp, miss a night and use a sensitive toothpaste

Skip tea, coffee, red wine and smoking while whitening and for a couple of days afterwards

Keep your trays; our top-up gel every year or so holds the shade

Call us if your gums get sore or show white patches. Our sensitivity guide explains what causes it.

After Hygiene or Gum Treatment

After a deep clean, gums may bleed slightly and teeth may be sensitive for a few days; this passes

Stick with the interdental brushes and the technique we showed you; daily cleaning is the real treatment, not the visit

After gum treatment with anaesthetic, eat soft food until the numbness goes and rinse with warm salt water for a few days

Make your next appointment before leaving; a three-month interval is what keeps periodontitis stable

Call us if your gums remain sore after a week, or a tooth turns very sensitive to cold.

Living with Invisalign

Wear aligners 20 to 22 hours a day; remove them only to eat or drink anything besides water

Brush before the aligners go back in, and clean them in cool water (never hot) with a soft brush

For a day or two, each new set feels tight, and any slight lisp fades within days

Until we say otherwise, keep your previous set in case one goes missing or breaks

Call us the same day if you lose or break an aligner, or an attachment comes off; we'll let you know which set to wear.

Questions

What patients ring about most often.

What is dry socket?+

What if I lose or break an aligner?+

Does composite bonding hurt?+

Is gum treatment painful?+

Can I eat straight after a filling?+

Guides

Aftercare Guides

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This page is no substitute for a quick call. If anything feels wrong after your treatment, please get in touch; we'd much rather know.

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