After Care Instructions
Pre- and Post- Care Instructions
Botox – Pre and Post Care Instructions
Pre-Treatment
In an ideal situation it is prudent to follow some simple guidelines before treatment that can make all the difference between a fair result or great result, by reducing some possible side effects associated with the injections. We realize this is not always possible; however, minimizing these risks is always desirable.
- Patient must be in good health with no active skin infections in the areas to be treated.
- Patient should not be needle phobic.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages at least 24 hours prior to treatment Alcohol may thin the blood, which will increase the risk of bruising.
- Avoid anti-inflammatory / blood thinning medications ideally for a period of two (2) weeks before treatment. Medications and supplements such as Aspirin, Vitamin E, Ginkgo Biloba, St. John’s Wort, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, Aleve, Vioxx, and other NSAIDS are all blood thinning and can increase the risk of bruising/swelling after injections. However, do not stop these medications if ordered by your doctor to be taken daily.
- Schedule Botulinum toxin appointment at least 2 weeks prior to a special event which may be occurring (i.e., wedding, vacation, etc.) to avoid bruising on the day of your event.
Post-Treatment Instructions
The guidelines to follow post treatment have been followed for years, and are still employed today to prevent the possible side effect of ptosis (drooping of the eyelids). These measures should minimize the possibility of ptosis or other undesirable muscle weakness in areas we did not inject.
- No straining, heavy lifting, vigorous exercise for 3-4 hours following treatment. It is now known that it takes the toxin approximately 2 hours to bind itself to the nerve to start its work, and because of this, we do not want to increase circulation to that area to wash away the Botulinum toxin from where it was injected.
- Avoid manipulation of area for 3-4 hours following treatment. (For the same reasons listed above.) This includes not doing a facial, peel, or micro-dermabrasion, or applying makeup right after treatment with Botulinum toxin. A facial, peel, or micro- dermabrasion can be done on the same day only if they are done before the Botulinum toxin injections.
- It can take 2 -10 days to take full effect. It is recommended that the patient contact the office no later than 2 weeks after treatment if desired effect was not achieved and no sooner to give the toxin time to work.
Professional Dental Whitening Gel – Instructions
- Prior to Treatment: Brush, floss and rinse your teeth well just prior to bleaching your teeth. The whitening gel is the most effective with clean teeth. Make sure that the bleaching trays are clean and dry before applying the whitening gel. Moisture reduces the efficiency of the whitening gel and slows down the whitening process.
- Applying the Bleaching Gel: When you apply the gel make sure not to fill the trays. Place a SMALL drop of whitening gel in the front of each tooth in the tray. Do not spread the bleach around.
- Inserting the Bleaching Trays: Seat the tray in your mouth and press firmly against your teeth. Run your finger along the front of the tray applying slight pressure so that the drop of bleach will evenly distribute across the entire tooth.
Wipe off any excess gel that seeps over the brim of the tray onto your gums with a tissue. Wear the tray with the gel as direction below.
- Wearing Time: Wearing time depends on concentration of bleach. Please follow directions as instructed.
- After Whitening: Remove the tray and rinse off your teeth, wiping any remaining gel away. You can apply desensitizing gel if your teeth become too sensitive – by using your trays and following steps 1 through 4 again using the desensitizing gel.
Important: DO NOT eat or drink for 30 minutes after you bleach to prevent discoloration.
Caring For Your Trays & Gel: Clean your whitening trays with a toothbrush or Q-tip under running cold water. Store your trays in their case and the gel in a cool, dry place away from heat and direct sunlight. The gel may be refrigerated to prolong the shelf life, but do not freeze.
Note: Average optimum results are achieved after 20-30 sessions of wear-time.
A dental crown is a treatment your dentist may recommend due to compromised tooth structure, which may be the result of a combination factors; including a large cavity, a large filling, a fracture or a root canal.
First appointment: At the first appointment for a crown, the dentist will prepare your tooth for a crown. After shaping the tooth to precisely fit a crown, a digital scan will be taken of your tooth to be sent to a dental lab. The lab will make a custom crown and send it back to us in approximately 7-14 business days. After the scan, a temporary crown is usually placed to prevent sensitivity. The temporary is meant to only last a couple weeks, so we advise you be careful eating when it is on, avoiding extra crunchy or sticky foods. If the temporary does come off before your appointment to get the real crown and you are experiencing sensitivity, call us to see if you can come in sooner and we can re-cement the temporary crown. Before leaving the office after your first appointment, we will set up an appointment to come back to have the permanent crown seated.
Second appointment: At the second appointment, we will remove the temporary crown and try on the permanent crown. We will verify the fit of the crown and permanently cement it with your approval of the esthetics. We often will then adjust the crown to make sure you can bite normally.
Post-op instructions:
- Avoid eating on the side of the new crown for a few hours after your appointment, while the cement continues to set up.
- After the cementation appointment, you can pretty well treat the crown like your normal tooth. Crowns are very strong, but to play it safe, we do recommend avoiding extra crunchy or sticky foods where a crown is to prevent damage or dislodgment,
- Make sure to keep your crown clean the way you do your natural teeth, including brushing 2 times per day and flossing daily.