ıCare Family Dental
Post-operative dental instructions
Care continues at home. Follow the instructions given for your own procedure. This page brings together iCare’s clinic-approved patient instructions for common treatments; it does not replace individual advice from the dentist who treated you.
- Clinic-approved source
- Procedure-specific guidance
- Call 000 for urgent medical danger
Monday–Saturday, 10:00 am–5:30 pm · Two hours free parking · English, Mandarin & Cantonese
Before choosing a section
Check what treatment you received.
Use the heading that matches the procedure completed at your appointment. If more than one procedure was completed, follow the combination of instructions given directly by the dentist. When written information and a personal instruction appear different, call the practice to confirm which applies to you.
Do not add, stop or change a prescribed medicine based only on a website. Take prescribed medicines exactly as directed. For non-prescription pain relief, follow the product label or the advice already given by your dentist.
If numbness is present, wait for it to wear off before chewing on that side and take care not to bite the lip, cheek or tongue. Contact the clinic if recovery is not following what was explained for your treatment.
After an extraction
Protect the blood clot while the socket begins healing.
Gentle care in the first days supports healing after a tooth is removed.
What to do
Support early healing
- Bite firmly on the gauze for 10–15 minutes to help stop bleeding.
- Take Panadol and Nurofen if needed, following the label or your dentist’s advice.
- Eat soft, cool foods and chew on the opposite side.
- Take prescribed medicines exactly as directed.
- Use an ice pack on the cheek in 20-minute intervals if needed on the day of extraction.
- Begin gentle warm saltwater rinses after 24 hours, two to three times a day.
What to avoid
Leave the socket undisturbed
- Do not spit forcefully, use a straw or rinse vigorously for the first 24 hours.
- Do not smoke for at least 24 hours.
- Avoid alcohol and carbonated drinks for 48 hours.
- Do not chew on the extraction site.
- Avoid hot food or drinks for the first day.
- Avoid strenuous exercise for 24–48 hours.
After root canal treatment
Protect the tooth between treatment stages.
Root canal treatment is commonly completed over more than one visit, followed by a final restoration.
While numb
Wait until numbness has worn off before chewing on the treated side. Take care not to bite the lip, cheek or tongue.
Between visits
Avoid heavy chewing on the unfinished tooth. Root canal treatment removes affected tissue and seals the canals in stages; the temporary and remaining tooth still need protection.
Final protection
Attend the planned appointment for sealing and the recommended crown or other final restoration. A root-filled tooth commonly needs protection because the remaining tooth may be more vulnerable to fracture.
After a filling, crown, bridge or onlay
Let numbness settle and check how the bite feels.
Mild sensitivity can occur, but the restoration should not remain noticeably high or loose.
After a filling
Test the bite gently
- Wait until numbness has completely worn off before chewing on that side and avoid biting the lip, cheek or tongue.
- Some sensitivity to cold or heat can occur and may settle gradually.
- Chew carefully at first and test the bite gently.
- Call if sensitivity is worsening after one to two weeks instead of improving, or if the tooth feels high or painful when biting.
After a permanent crown, bridge or onlay
Protect the restoration
- Mild sensitivity to hot, cold or pressure can occur at first.
- For the first 48 hours, floss carefully by sliding the floss out rather than snapping it up.
- Maintain daily brushing and flossing around the restoration.
- Avoid very hard foods for the first 48 hours.
- Call if pain persists or worsens, the restoration feels loose or comes off, the bite feels uneven, or food repeatedly packs around it.
After a standard or deep clean
Follow the plan matched to your gum health.
Standard cleaning and deeper periodontal cleaning need different follow-up.
Home care
Use the instructions matched to the appointment
After a standard clean, return to the home-care routine explained during the visit. After deeper periodontal cleaning, follow the specific brushing, interdental-cleaning and review instructions provided for your gums.
The clinic’s gum-disease explainer notes that some mild sensitivity after deeper cleaning is normal and that most people return to normal within a couple of days. Deep cleaning is commonly staged, and the clinic plan uses a closer four-month review while gums heal and stabilise.
After dental implant treatment
Stage-one surgery and crown placement need different care.
Use the section that matches the stage completed at your appointment.
After implant placement
Protect the surgical area
- Follow the extraction precautions for the first 24 hours.
- Use a soft diet for several days and chew on the opposite side.
- Keep the surgical area as clean as possible without scrubbing it.
- Use Savacol or another prescribed mouthrinse exactly as directed.
- Do not chew on the implant site, disturb stitches with the tongue or fingers, or use very hot food and drinks.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol while the area is healing.
- Call for persistent or heavy bleeding, severe pain or swelling that is not improving, fever or signs of infection.
After the implant crown is fitted
Check pressure and movement
- Chew carefully on the opposite side for the first 24 hours; mild tightness or discomfort can occur.
- After 24 hours, resume normal brushing and flossing around the implant crown.
- Attend regular hygiene and review visits.
- Do not ignore ongoing pain, pressure or loosening.
- Call if the crown feels loose or moves, pain persists or worsens, or the bite feels uneven or high.
After a child’s dental treatment
Use the instructions for the procedure your child received.
Follow the matching section on this page together with the instructions given to the parent or carer at the appointment.
Children may receive a filling, extraction, clean, fluoride treatment or another procedure. Follow the matching section on this page together with the instructions given to the parent or carer at the appointment.
While numb
Help the child avoid biting or chewing the lip, cheek or tongue. Wait until numbness has worn off before chewing on the treated side.
Keep instructions nearby
Follow the treatment-specific instructions provided for your child at the visit.
Ask when unsure
Call the clinic if the child cannot describe what they are feeling or if recovery differs from the advice given at the visit.
Common questions
Questions after dental treatment.
Your personal instructions come first. Call iCare when the treatment or next step is unclear.
What should I do if my personal instructions differ from this page?
Follow the treatment-specific instructions given by your dentist and call iCare to confirm. Your clinical situation may require different advice.
Can I change prescribed medicine based on this page?
No. Take prescribed medicine exactly as directed and follow the product label or the advice already given. Call the practice or the relevant health professional if you have a medicine question.
When should I call after an extraction?
Call for bleeding that does not slow with firm pressure, severe pain that is not relieved or improving, swelling that continues to worsen after two to three days, fever, chills, or a bad taste or smell.
Can I chew on a tooth between root canal visits?
Avoid heavy chewing on the unfinished tooth and attend the planned visit for sealing and the recommended final restoration.
What if a new filling or crown feels high?
Call the clinic if the tooth or restoration feels high, uneven or painful when biting. A crown or bridge that feels loose or comes off also needs review.
Is sensitivity expected after a deep clean?
The clinic’s patient explainer notes that mild sensitivity can occur and that most people return to normal within a couple of days. Call if recovery differs from what was discussed.
What if an implant crown moves?
Call the clinic if an implant crown feels loose, moves when you bite, remains painful or feels high. Do not ignore ongoing pressure or loosening.
When should I call 000?
Call 000 for difficulty breathing, a life-threatening reaction or another medical emergency. Dental concerns that are not life-threatening can be discussed with iCare on (02) 8068 6828.
Contact iCare
Unsure about recovery?
Call the Chatswood practice and explain which treatment you received, when it was completed and what has changed. This is the local contact point for iCare patients in Chatswood and across Sydney’s North Shore.
A quick check can help. Call if the recovery instructions are unclear.
The team can review the treatment notes and help arrange the appropriate next step.