Welcome to our resources page! Here you will be able to access information about a variety of topics you may be interested in exploring, such as before and after photos, preventive tips, commonly asked questions, and more. We’re dedicated to providing you with all of the answers you need to make the more informed and comfortable decision you can about your oral health.
Resources
Case Studies
See some real life examples of patients who have come to us with various challenges, looking for dental solutions that can help them to unlock better self-confidence, have a stronger bite, and achieve a brighter smile.
Blog
From fluoride toothpaste to mercury fillings and beyond, our Dentistry in Aurora blog covers it all. Visit often to stay up to date with new articles coming soon.
FAQs
Have a question for our team? You’re in luck! We’ve collected some of the most commonly asked questions for our FAQ page so that you can find your answers right here! If you have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Minor Surgery/Extraction Protocol
- It is essential that you maintain continuous pressure on gauze placed over wound for 30 minutes.
- Do not rinse or disrupt wound area in any way.
- Take medication as directed.
- Do not engage in any physical activity as it increased blood pressure.
Pain: Pain following oral surgery is to be expected. The severity of pain varies considerably from each patient and with the nature of the surgery. If the medication you have seems inadequate or if
severe pain continues beyond 48 hours, contact our office immediately, 905-727-5522. Further treatment may be required.
Bleeding: You may expect a small amount of bleeding during the first 24 hours. If bleeding becomes excessive:
- Gently wipe out your mouth with clean gauze provided in the white envelope.
- Fold clean gauze into a thick pad. A moistened teabag may also be used as the acid promoted clotting. Maintain pressure for 30 minutes.
- Repeat if necessary.
- It may help to keep your head elevated while resting.
Avoid: Rinsing, poking with tongue and fingers, sucking, and excessive activity.
DO NOT: Smoke, drink alcoholic beverages or hot liquids. If you are still unable to control bleeding contact our office immediately.
Sutures: In some circumstances sutures are placed to promote proper healing. Sutures should be removed within 2 weeks.
Discoloration: A bruising of the skin sometimes occurs. This will disappear without treatment within 5-7 days. Your saliva may be a shade of pink. This is normal and will disappear over the next few days.
Swelling: Swelling to varying degrees may occur following oral surgery. To minimize swelling apply ice pack (cold compress) to affected side of face-on 10 minutes and off for 10 minutes for the 3-4 hours following surgery. DO NOT APPLY HEAT. It may take 48 hours before swelling begins to Subside. Contact our office if the swelling increases after that time.
Mouth Care: Do not rinse mouth for 24 hours following surgery. Provided there is no bleeding, you may rinse after this time with warm saltwater. (1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 6 oz. of water). Soak area only! Afterwards, clean your mouth as usual, avoiding the wound.
Diet: Adequate nutrition is important for proper healing. Eat soft nutritious foods such as egg, chopped meats, custards, milk shakes, soups, juices. Avoid HOT foods and liquids.
Difficulty in Opening Mouth: Difficulty in opening your mouth occasionally occurs and should begin to disappear gradually within 2-3 days.
Complications: Even with proper care, complications sometimes arise following oral surgery.
The most common problems are described in the preceding sections, but in case of unusual disturbances, do not hesitate to consult our office.
How to Take Care of Sports Mouth Guard
For Upper and Lower Sports Guard: When you’re not wearing your sports guard please keep in in a cold dry area,
preferably the case that you are given.
Insertion: Remove mouth guard from case and place into your mouth. Push guard on top your teeth (upper or lower depends on the type of appliance) until you feel it over your teeth and gums.
Removal: Grasp with both hands over the mouth guard and pull down slowly, you may feel suction when removing the mouth guard that is normal.
Cleaning: Try to clean your mouth guard after EVERY USE. Run your sports guard under warm water and use your toothbrush to brush the inner part of the sports guard.
Dry it with paper towel or a soft cloth and place back into the case or a cool dry area.
Any questions, please feel free to call our office.
Post-Operative Care for Bone Mineral Grafting
Please follow the instructions below regarding what to eat and how to care for your mouth after the procedure:
Medication: If you have been prescribed antibiotics and pain medication, take them as recommended. Antibiotics are not routinely given and their use is limited to particular situations. Please follow the instructions given on the bottle carefully. Start your pain medication as soon as you return home before the freezing completely wears off. If your surgeon anticipates that you will experience a significant amount of discomfort after a surgery, he or she will recommend that you take the pain medication at regular 6-hour intervals regardless of whether you are in discomfort for the first 24 hours. After this time, you should take pain medication as needed.
Some pain medication will make you feel sleepy, so it is advised that you do not drive or operate machinery.
Head Position: If possible, use an extra pillow for the first two nights after your surgery to help reduce swelling.
Bleeding: You can expect some bleeding in the 24-48 hours after your surgery. Place gauze squares folded in four on the bleeding area and bite down, applying firm pressure for 20 minutes. Change the gauze as it becomes soaked with blood. Avoid spitting and this may promote bleeding.
Swelling: After bone grafting surgery, there is often swelling of the face and at times, bruising of the skin. Be assured that this is a normal part of the recovery process.
Hold an ice pack to your face (30 minutes on and 30 minutes off) for the first 48 hours to reduce the swelling. You can expect the swelling be greatest within 24-48 hours after surgery. Swelling can last for 7-10 days.
If the swelling disappears and returns a few days later, please contact your surgeon immediately. This may be an indication of an infection.
Nutrition: Eat a light diet including soft foods such as yogurt, soup, milk products and Jell-O for the first few days.
Avoid hot food and do not use a straw as this may lead to bleeding.
After you get home on the day of your bone grafting surgery, it is essential that you drink a lot of fluids. Take a sip of any non-alcoholic beverage every 10-20 minutes. Examples of appropriate fluid include dairy products, fruit or vegetable juices and mineral water.
Smoking: Patient should be advised that smoking immediately before or within one month of a bone graft surgery may significantly increase the risk of wound infection of the graft.
PRF Graft (Platelet Rich Fibrin) Aftercare Instruction Sheet
- Do not bite on gauze, there is no need.
- Apply a ½ teaspoon [2.5ml] of plasma to the surgical area every hour until the plasma is finished. Hold the plasma over the surgical site for at least 60 seconds, then swallow. Keep the plasma refrigerated.
- Have a liquid diet for the first 24 hours.
- Have soft foods for the first week. Soft foods are considered anything that can be mashed with a fork.
- Rinse gently with salt water or baking soda water after every meal, being careful to not disturb the healing surgical site.
- When returning to solid foods, chew slowly on the opposite side.
- Brush, floss and clean your teeth everywhere else except the surgical area.
- Plan to have the sutures removed in about 3 weeks.
- Call or email us if there are any questions about your healing.
- Please take your remedies or prescriptions as indicated.
- Homeopathic medicine: Dissolve 1 pill under tongue every hour for first 2 days, then 4 times a day as needed for symptoms.
Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy Pre-Treatment Information
Laser Technology – the future of dentistry has arrived! At Dentistry in Aurora we are proud to bring one of the newest, most precise and versatile tools available to dentistry today. We are one of the first offices in Ontario to have the KAVO Key 3 Laser.
A Dental Laser is a beam of highly concentrated light energy of a specific wavelength. The precision and extreme intensity of the light has specific and predictable reactions when it comes in contact with hard or soft tissue. The precision make the Laser able to detect and remove tarter and debris below the gum line and sterilize the pockets. This allows the gums to reattach to the tooth and, at the same time, shrink the pockets to a manageable level for ease of patient home care. Most patients do not require local aesthetic. Long-term studies have shown bone growth in Laser treated areas. This is a first for dentistry.
The procedure takes approximately one hour depending on how many areas are to be treated, and some deeper areas may need to be treated more than once. This technique is an alternative to surgery, which we are trying to avoid. The patient may experience some mild to moderate sensitivity and bleeding around the gums for up to a week after treatment although most patients do not report any symptoms at all. Patients usually respond very favorably with proper home care and use of any treatment recommendations.
Following your procedure, we will book a 6-week evaluation to check your progress and ensure proper healing is taking place.
Do not hesitate to discuss Laser scaling with your dentist or dental hygienist or to see if it is right for you. We are all more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding this procedure.
Caring for your Bruxism (Nightguard) Appliance
Prior to inserting the appliance, brush and floss your teeth.
Insertion: Run appliance under warm tap water to soften.
Using both hands, guide the appliance into place over your teeth.
Gently close your teeth to fully seat the appliance.
Removal: Grasp appliance with both hands and carefully work it off your teeth.
Cleaning: Run appliance under cold tap water and use a soft toothbrush to gently clean surfaces.
Over time, mineral deposits can accumulate and make your appliance opaque. If this occurs, we recommend soaking it in vinegar for a couple of hours (2 hours). Once removed, brush thoroughly under cold tap water.
Storage: Shake moisture from appliance and place it in the container provided by our office.
Any questions, please feel free to call our office.