Patient care instructions

Congratulations on getting through your dental visit! What you do at home is as important as what we do for you in the clinic, so please click on the relevant care instructions. As always, if you have any questions at all, please contact us – we love to help!

Dental Surgery

After your dental surgery appointment, you will be discharged with cotton gauze(s) in your mouth.

In the first 24 hours

Bite down firmly on the gauze for 30 minutes. Firm pressure will help stop the bleeding. Minimize talking, do not chew or replace the gauze too often, as this will disrupt the forming clot and cause it to bleed for longer
After 30 minutes, you may remove the gauze completely. Take it easy for the rest of the day – avoid physical exertion as increased heart rate and/or blood pressure can cause the wound to start bleeding again
If bleeding restarts again, use the extra cotton gauze provided and bite down firmly for 20 minutes. If you ever run out of gauze, a cold, wet (wrung out so not dripping) teabag can be a good substitute
Avoid eating while you are still numb. You may drink through a straw. After the numbness wears off, stick to soft and cold food (such as yoghurt, smoothies, ice cream, baby food) for the first day. Avoid hot and crunchy food, including hot tea or coffee. Cold constricts blood vessels so can help reduce bleeding; while heat expands and encourages bleeding
Avoid brushing the teeth on the affected side for the first 24 hours, in order to avoid trauma to the healing wound
If you have sutures, do avoid playing or flicking it with your tongue. They are dissolvable within 7-10 days and do not need any intervention
Do not smoke or drink alcohol (especially if you have been given a prescription). This will increase the risk of infection
Take your prescribed medications as instructed

After the first 24 hours

You may eat and drink what you can tolerate. Most people find it easier to start with soft food such as pasta or rice
For more involved surgical procedures, expect some swelling and bruising to commence after the first 24 hours and it will peak at 48 hours. This is a normal part of the healing process. While this generally does not affect your daily routine, depending on your work requirements, we may provide a medical certificate should you require one
Try to keep the extraction site as clean as possible, mix 1 teaspoon of salt and a cup of warm water as a mouth rinse

If you experience any of the following concerns, please contact us immediately:

A high fever (over 38 degree Celsius)
Severe nausea and vomiting
Bleeding that cannot be contained despite following the instructions above
Swelling that is spreading towards your eyes, or neck
Difficulty breathing or swallowing

Braces

Congratulations on getting your braces fitted! This is an exciting time for you and we are thrilled to be part of this journey.

Your first appointment is often longer and things can take a period of time to get used to. Not only do your teeth now look different, they will also feel very different. Here are a few things to expect, please also refer to the information sheet issued for any other appliances you may have.

Discomfort

It is normal to feel slight discomfort in the first few days after your braces are ‘tightened’. You will often find some relief just by having a cold drink or holding a small piece of ice in your mouth. An over the counter painkiller like Panadol can be taken if required.

Your mouth needs time to get used to having braces. If you have irritation or ulcers from the braces poking into your lips or cheeks, use the orthodontic wax provided to cover the irritating spot by moulding it with your fingers. Remember to take it out before your meals lest you swallow it while eating!

Should any part of the braces break or become too sharp, please call our office as soon as possible to arrange a time to have this rectified. It is important that this is addressed early as it will affect how the teeth move.

Food

As you get used to having braces, please stick to a soft diet for your comfort and to avoid breaking any part of the braces. Hard food, such as whole apples and tough meat, should be avoided until after the adjustment period. If consumed, cut them into small pieces and bite into them with your back teeth. Never bite into hard food with your front teeth. Please stay away from hard and sticky foods such as Minties and other confectionaries as they too can break braces and cause wires to come loose.

Speech

During the adjustment period, you may find your speech affected slightly, depending on the type of appliance/braces you have. You may also find that you salivate and need to swallow more often as your brain is tricked into thinking there is food in your mouth! Rest assured that all these are temporary – the human body is amazing and adaptable and you will be feeling yourself very soon. We have some speech exercises and tongue twisters for you to speed up the adjustment process. Ultimately, patience is key!

Cleaning

We understand that cleaning your teeth with braces on is more time consuming but it is essential that extra care is taken to prevent decay, teeth browning and gum infection. Here are a few pointers:

Brushing is recommended after each meal for 3-5 minutes. This means that you would brush your teeth after lunch time too
Embrace helpful tools such as Waterpiks, floss and/or small bristle brushes to help you clean in between the braces where the toothbrush cannot access
Food and drinks that are acidic (sour) and high in sugar should be avoided especially if sticky
We strongly recommend getting a professional clean every 3 months. This way, any potential problem areas can be addressed early and we can also give you tailored recommendations on how to make cleaning more efficient and effective

Remember, we want the day your braces come off to be a day of beautiful revelation – not with surprise if there is decay underneath the braces!

Invisalign

Congratulations on getting started on the journey to straighter teeth and a more beautiful smile! Thanks for continuing improvements in technology, clear aligners are now able to move teeth without the side effects commonly experienced by braces wearers. Having said that, here are some of the care and wear instructions that are common to the orthodontic experience, and unique to Invisalign.

Discomfort

It is normal to feel slight discomfort/tightness in the first few days you wear your new aligners. This is a good sign that your teeth are moving! You will often find some relief just by having a cold drink or holding a small piece of ice in your mouth. An over the counter painkiller like Panadol can be taken if required.

In the unlikely event there is a sharp edge on the plastic tray, you may find some relief by using a nail file on the rough spot, alternatively, please contact the office so we can address this for you.

Cleaning

One of the best perks about not having to have braces is that you are able to clean your teeth as normal. Remember, as you will be wearing the aligners full time, inadequate cleaning may result in trapping food or plaque in between your teeth and the aligners – so to avoid dental decay, we recommend brushing after each meal and flossing at least once daily. Remember to brush the inside and outside of your aligners too!

Speech

While your lips and tongue get used to you wearing aligners in the early days, you may find your speech affected slightly. You may also find that you salivate and need to swallow more often as your brain is tricked into thinking there is food in your mouth! While you are likely the only person that notices these changes, rest assured that they are temporary – the human body is amazing and adaptable and you will be feeling yourself very soon. We have some speech exercises and tongue twisters for you to speed up the adjustment process. Ultimately, patience is key!

Chewies

You would have been given Chewies as part of your start kit. Remember to bite and hold on these for 5 seconds on each front tooth every time you wear the aligners. This ensures the buttons on your teeth are completely engaged in the aligners

Botox injections

As cosmetic injectables rise in popularity, we strive to debunk myths and deliver on scientifically proven care instructions.

<4 hours after injections

Immediately after your injections, you will see red bumps on the injection sites. This will dissipate within 5-10 minutes
Please take care not to touch or rub the injection sites, in order to avoid introducing germs to the healing skin, and to avoid moving the targeted medicine to another region on your face, causing unwanted side effects like a droopy smile
In some people, bruising may occur and will not affect the final result of your treatment. Bruising may be reduced by application of Hirudoid as instructed by your doctor

7 days after injections

Expect the effects of the injections to be noticeable after 7 days – this will be visible in aesthetic treatments such as wrinkle reduction, reduced gummy smile
In patients with jaw joint muscular pain and headaches, the effects may be more subtle as people tend to get on with their lives when pain free, and noticing it more when the effects wear off and the muscles start to ache again
For first time users of jaw muscle botox, you may notice slight bulging of the muscle as the botox starts to kick in. This is temporary, and if needed we can organize a top up for more resistant muscles

Dermal filler injections

The day of the injections

Depending on the area of the injection, you may be numb for approximately 2-3 hours
Please avoid eating while you are numb, as you may accidentally bite down on your lips without realizing in, resulting in a bruise that could have been avoided
Expect what you see immediately after dermal filler injections to be approximately 20-30% swelling (especially in very vascular areas like the lips)
As everybody recovers at a different rate from the numbness and swelling, try to be patient and everything settle down before you take selfies or show them off
Avoid touching the area injected, including applying make up to avoid introducing germs to the healing skin, and inadvertent movement of the filler before it has the chance to settle in
In some people, bruising may occur and will not affect the final result of your treatment. In most cases, bruising may be reduced by application of Hirudoid as instructed by your doctor. We are very pedantic about safety of dermal filler injections, so if you notice any bruising after you leave us, we would like to know about it as soon as possible. A simple selfie and a phone call will help us assess the bruise
In the unlikely event you notice blanching of your skin, pain, visual disturbance or big haematomas, please get in touch with us as soon as possible

Whitening

We hope you are loving your beautiful white smile!

In office whitening

As it was a long appointment, expect some tenderness in your jaw muscles and joints
A small percentage of patients experience sensitivity with bleaching. We encourage using a desensitizing toothpaste for up to one week after in office whitening if needed
You may notice some white spots during the bleaching process, this is likely due to dehydration of your teeth and is a temporary phenomenon
If you are continuing with white fillings or veneers after whitening, please allow at least one week for the color to settle before coming in to see us for a shade match
If you are continuing at home whitening for maintenance, please see instructions below

At home whitening

Store your whitening gel syringe(s) in the refrigerator when not in use. Do not freeze. Whitening gel is sensitive to heat
Start your whitening process immediately before sleep (reduced salivation during sleep improves the whitening results)
Remember to brush your teeth before whitening your teeth
You only need to place the gel on your teeth that are visible when you smile. If in doubt, count the number of teeth showing while grinning your cheesiest grin in front of a mirror
Dispense a dab of whitening gel into each tooth on the inner side of the outer walls of your whitening trays
Place the tray firmly onto your teeth, and push the trays firmly onto your teeth
Remove excess gel with a damp tissue or cloth. Do not swallow excess gel
If you see an excessive amount of gel, the trays have been over-filled. Adjust accordingly the next time you wear the whitening trays (overfilling means you run out faster!). If you see no gel has squeezed out – place more gel the following time, this helps obtain the best possible whitening result
If significant sensitivity occurs, stop treatment and contact us
When you wake up, rinse you mouth and clean you trays with cool tap water
Store tray in your case provided, and keep your remaining gel refrigerated

Please note:

Do not use tobacco products or eat with the bleaching trays in your mouth
Do not whiten your teeth while pregnant
Foods and juices high in citric acid can cause sensitivity to the teeth
Some patients have temporary discomfort of the gums, lips, throat or tongue. Should any of the symptoms persist more than two days or progressively get worse, we definitely want to know about it. These side effects will usually subside within 1-3 days after treatment is discontinued
Food coloring, coffee and tobacco can reduce effectiveness of the whitening gel and re-stain your teeth over time. Please minimize these to get the best results possible
Teeth are naturally darker along the gum line. These areas may require more time to lighten than the rest of the tooth surface and usually remain slightly darker because of their anatomy