Final Restoration

How to clean your new teeth: You should be able to floss your new restorations in a normal manner. Use a soft tooth brush with a toothpaste, preferably one with fluoride, regardless of the type of restoration. The choice of toothpaste is somewhat less clear. There have been several published studies on the best toothpaste to use on teeth with composite resins, but no study has given us the definitive word. Even though there are several toothpastes that advertise they are specially designed for bonded teeth, there is no real proof that any toothpaste, if used properly, will harm bonding. We recommed not cleaning your teeth more than three times a day. Brushing should be done in moderation.

Mouth rinses: Over the counter rinses do not provide a significant health benefit, but are acceptable to freshen your breath. Most contain alcohol and may create a drymouth concern.

Eating: You should be able to enjoy whatever quality of life you choose, without interference from your teeth. This means that your new restorations should not limit your enjoyment of eating a wide variety of food without worrying about consequences of your teeth. Avoidance or eating these types of food in moderation may prevent restorations from losing their brilliance.

Drinking: As mentioned above with mouthwashes, alcohol has the ability to hasten the demise of bonded restorations. In addition, dark drinks like red wine are probably more offensive to esthetic restorations than lighter-in-color drinks. Nonalcoholic drinks can also cause problems. Coffee and tea are notorious stain-producers while soft drinks such as Coke and Pepsi can be laden with sugar and acids and may contribute to recurrent caries. Ice in any kind of drinks should not be chewed.

Habits: This area includes biting fingernails, pencils, etc., all of which can damage or dislodge restorations. Trying to open various types of containers, envelopes, etc., with teeth can also lead to loss of restorations.

Smoking: There is no doubt that smoking is highly deleterious to both teeth and restorations. Even though smoking's role in shortening the life of a restoration is unclear, it certainly contributes to a significant amount of stain accumulation.

Sensitivity: Common following permanent cementation. It will usually decrease after two weeks. If sensitivity persists, please notify the office.