TIPS

…the treated tooth may be slightly sensitive. This is due to the medication that is placed to the root canal or the root canal treatment with an instrument. In the event of very strong pain, swelling, etc., it is advisable to contact your family doctor.
…it is not allowed to eat for about two hours, because a temporary filling is in the tooth.
…follow exactly the treatment plan as directed by your doctor.
…note that about a year after the tooth is devitalized (i.e. deadened) and root filling(s) are installed, a check must be performed and control X-ray taken, regardless of the lack of pain or sensitivity. Regular check-ups over the years are suggested to make sure that the treatment was successful.
Sometimes an old lesion (chronic root inflammation) can flare up after it is opened. This is a normal phenomenon.
A tooth with a temporary filling is relatively weak. Avoid chewing very hard foods in order to prevent the tooth from braking.

… the tooth neck and gums may be sensitive. Avoid extremely cool or hot meals/drinks.
… try to follow the personal hygiene programme drawn up by your doctor despite the sensitivity: clean between the teeth with a brush or dental floss; of course only if your doctor has not suggested otherwise.
… rinse the wound with chlorhexidine solution for two weeks twice a day for about a minute. Perform the rinsing half an hour after brushing the teeth. The wound may be rinsed for a maximum of two weeks, if the doctor has not decided otherwise. The solution may pigment the teeth, but this is not permanent and can easily be removed after the treatment. In case of gingival sensitivity or burning, dilute the solution with water or seek the advice of a dentist.

Dental hygiene must have special attention if you have crowns or bridge prostheses. The teeth should be brushed with a soft brush. In order to avoid excessive force, hold the brush between your fingers like a pencil. It is advisable to use a technique, in which the bristles are directed diagonally to the gingival border with short circular movements. The toothbrush does not reach between the teeth; therefore special brushing appliances should be used.

Dental floss can be used to clean between the teeth with crowns. The floss can be turned around fingers or used with a flosser.

The floss should be pushed between the teeth with short back-and-forth motions and the surfaces of the teeth and gingival line cleaned with three to four up-and-down movements.

A special floss threader can be used to floss under the bridge prosthesis with back-and-fourth movements.

A small solo brush (small interdental brush resembling a bottle brush) can be used to clean larger tooth gaps and bridge links.

There may be discomfort or sensitivity for some time (especially to cool beverages), which is normal. The sensitivity lasts in most cases only for a few days or weeks. A dentist should be consulted if the sensitivity increases or sensitivity to hot foods develops, because it may caused by dental nerve damage or irritation.
Possible pain upon chewing is probably caused by uneven or too high filling, which a dentist can polish.
If the filling is too rough or if the floss gets stuck to it between the teeth, tell it to your dentist and ask for a refinement. These unpolished areas collect easily plaque and may cause now cavity formation next to the filling.

When the anaesthesia passes, there wound may hurt and cause discomfort. This pain may persist for several days after the operation. For pain relief use over-the-counter painkillers from a pharmacy. Effective at analgesics contain ibuprofen or are compound analgesics.
Cool the wound area to avoid the formation of oedema. In order to do this, place an ice bag (out of the mouth) in the surgical wound area.
Do not place any compresses (Chamomile, alcohol, etc.) on the wound.
You may experience slight weakness in the first hours after the procedure. It is not recommended to engage in activities requiring physical effort within a couple of days.
If a special wound cover is placed on the wound, you are not allowed to eat for about two hours. Later it is advisable to eat softer foods until the wound cover is removed. Try not to damage the wound cover while brushing teeth and do not use electric toothbrush after the operation.
Follow exactly the doctor’s prescriptions and consume supporting medications exactly by the scheme after surgery.
Rinse the wound with chlorhexidine solution for two weeks twice a day for about a minute. Perform the rinsing half an hour after brushing the teeth. The wound may be rinsed for a maximum of two weeks, if the doctor has not decided otherwise. The solution may pigment the teeth, but this is not permanent and can easily be removed after the treatment. In case of gingival sensitivity or burning, dilute the solution with water or seek the advice of a dentist.

Wearing a prosthesis may initially be uncomfortable. Be patient and try to wear the prosthesis despite discomfort—it’s possible to get used to it! First two weeks following the completion of the prosthesis are the hardest and the mouth needs to get used to the new situation. During this time, remove the prosthesis only for cleaning and wear it also at night. However, later be sure to remove it for the night.
If the prosthesis is not in the mouth, it must be put in a wet napkin and wrapped in a special box. Otherwise, the material of the prosthesis dries and it becomes fragile. The prosthesis may fold and feel imprecise.
The prosthesis needs to be carefully cleaned twice a day. Prostheses must be washed under running water and use special appliances (water soluble tablets) to help disinfect the prostheses. A special soft brush may also be used, if needed. The area of support clasps must be cleaned with particular care.
Biting with incisor teeth should be avoided with full prostheses.
Eat only soft foods in the first days.
If wearing of the prosthesis causes pain or friction contact your dentist.
Ask your dentist to check the correct position of the prosthesis every six months.

Why the tooth hurts? Usually the reason for toothache is one of the four causes: dental caries or cavity, dental nerve inflammation, tooth root tip inflammation or gum inflammation.

Dental caries i.e. cavity

Dental caries is an infectious disease caused by microbes that live in the oral cavity. Microbes produce acids from food sugars that damage the teeth.

These microbes can colonize the teeth at an early age, when the first teeth come and a suitable surface for adhesion appears. Origins of the infection are mostly parents who clean pacifiers in their mouth, feed the baby with their spoon or kiss the children on the mouth.

Four concomitant factors are needed for a cavity to develop:

a tooth, that the microbes can adhere to,
microbes that cause dental caries, without which no cavities develop,
carbohydrates (food), out of which microbes produce acids,
time, so that the acids produced by the microbes could affect the enamel. This means that the more frequently a person eats, and the less he cleans the teeth of the food residues, the faster the cavities occur.

Dental nerve inflammation
Dental nerve inflammation develops usually when the dental caries is left untreated. Small cavity becomes a deep hole through which microbes causing the inflammation reach the dental nerve. This inflammation can be acute (with strong pain) or chronic (with mild symptoms).

Tooth root tip inflammation

If the dental nerve inflammation is not treated at the time of symptoms, the nerve shrivels and the microbes reach the bone tissue surrounding the tooth root through the tip aperture. An inflammation of the surrounding tissues of the root tip develops. This inflammation can also be acute with pain or chronic.

If the tooth hurts and is sensitive under chewing pressure, it could be the result of acute tooth root tip inflammation. At the beginning the pain is constant and throbbing and it is evident which tooth causes the pain. As the inflammation progresses, the pain goes stronger and may radiate to the adjacent teeth. The gums in the root tip area are flushed and swollen. An abscess can form in the gum. Malaise and fever may accompany.

The course of chronic tooth root tip inflammation can be without recognizable symptoms. This kind of inflammation usually does not cause pain. In some cases, a fistula can occasionally form in the gingival root tip area, from which a small amount of pus is secreted. The existence of such inflammation can be determined with X-ray and it needs treatment, regardless of whether the tooth hurts or not. The existence of a constant inflammation is especially dangerous to people suffering from cardiovascular diseases or who are with artificial joints. Therefore the teeth need to be checked and treated on a regular basis by a dentist.

Sometimes gingivitis can be the cause of pain. Development of gingivitis is directly connected to oral hygiene. The microbes in the plaque irritate the gums and cause inflammation, redness, bleeding, itchiness and pain.