Dental Care Services in Westerville OH
The team at Stefan Family Dental is dedicated to your smile, and our Westerville office’s full suite of comprehensive services has you covered. In addition to preventive procedures such as cleanings, our services include crowns, bridges, fillings, extractions, root canals, dentures, and Invisalign® clear aligners. Moreover, our state-of-the-art dental technology ensures that you get the results you need and want. Review our listed services below, and feel free to contact us with any questions. We look forward to meeting your oral health goals together.
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Dental Services
Dental Technology
- Digital X-Rays
- Intraoral Cameras
- Panoramic X-Rays
- Rotary Handpiece for Endodontic Treatment
- Cone Beam CT Machine
Same Day & Emergency Care
- Dental Injuries
- Chipped & Broken Teeth
- Tooth Pain
- Call for an Immediate Appointment
Post-Endodontic Treatment Instructions
Avoid eating or drinking for the first 30 minutes following your treatment to allow the temporary filling material sufficient time to harden. Once you resume eating and drinking, avoid chewing or biting on the treatment area until your permanent restoration is placed. The temporary filling or crown placed immediately following root canal treatment is more vulnerable to cracking or breaking. For this reason, it is important to avoid chewing on hard substances such as ice, hard nuts, pretzels, hard candy, etc.
A permanent restoration must be placed to protect and seal your tooth within six weeks of root canal treatment. Failure to do so in a timely manner may result in decay, infection, or loss of the tooth. Please keep the treated area clean by gently brushing and flossing regularly.
You may experience some discomfort or soreness in the tooth and surrounding gum tissue for several days following root canal treatment. This is normal and should begin to improve over time. If you were given prescriptions, please have them filled promptly and take them as directed. If no prescriptions were given, you may choose to take ibuprofen and/or Tylenol for the alleviation of discomfort and swelling. If you are unable to achieve adequate pain control, please call our office.
If, at any time after your appointment, you feel that you are experiencing unusual symptoms or are developing a problem, please contact us immediately by calling the office at 614-794-3629. If you need to call after hours, please call the office, listen to the recording, and you will be directed to an emergency contact number.
Post-Surgical Dental Care Instructions
General Instructions
- It is important that you bite on your gauze with firm pressure for 30 minutes. After that, you may take the gauze out and observe the extraction area. If it is bleeding like a fresh wound (bright red, dripping blood), bite on additional fresh gauze for approximately 30 more minutes. Repeat as necessary until the area is slightly oozing and the blood is dark & clotting. Most patients stop bleeding after 1-2 hours. A little blood and a lot of saliva will look like a lot of blood, but usually, it is just a lot of saliva. If at any time you feel that you are having problems controlling your bleeding, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
- Take all medications exactly as directed. If given an antibiotic, take it for the entire length of the prescription.
- Stay fully hydrated and nourished. We recommend consuming a softer diet, chewing on the side opposite the surgical site, and avoiding hot/spicy foods and carbonated beverages for at least 48 hours after surgery.
- Keep your mouth as clean as possible. Continue your normal brushing and flossing routine but be extra cautious and gentle around your surgical site.
Things to Avoid
- Do not lie down or sleep with gauze in your mouth.
- Do not smoke, drink through a straw, or forcefully spit for 72 hours after your surgery, as it may dislodge the blood clot that is imperative for healing.
- Do not use any mouth rinse (Listerine, etc.) for 3 weeks after your surgery. We do not recommend placing topical anesthetics (Orajel, etc.), crushed aspirin, or any other home remedies on your surgical site.
- Avoid heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for 48-72 hours after surgery.
Things to Expect
- Bleeding that may last for several hours.
- Some pain, soreness, or discomfort. After surgery, some degree of discomfort should be expected.
- Some swelling may occur. Do not place ice directly on the skin. You may place ice in a cloth and apply the cloth to the affected area for 20 minutes on and off for up to 24 hours after your surgery. Do not place heat unless directed by the doctor.
- During the healing process, small bony particles may work up through the gums. In most cases, your body will remove these pieces on its own, but if you need the doctor’s assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
- Full soft tissue healing takes 10-14 days. It will take several months for the bone to heal completely.
If, at any time during your recovery, you feel that you are experiencing unusual symptoms or are developing a problem, please contact us immediately by calling the office at 614-794-3629. If your problem develops after office hours, please call the office, listen to the recording, and you will be directed to an emergency contact number.