After scaling and polishing
What follows a hygiene appointment, and why the sensitivity settles on its own.
How recovery goes
The first hours
You can eat straight away. If we also used air polishing, avoid coffee, tea, red wine and smoking for a while, because freshly cleaned enamel stains more easily.
The first days
Teeth may be sensitive to cold, especially where tartar covered the root. A toothpaste for sensitive teeth helps. Gums that bled when brushing bleed less each day as the inflammation settles.
A soft brush and short strokes without pressing protect the gum while it heals.
The first week
Keep brushing twice a day and clean between your teeth daily, with floss or interdental brushes. That stops tartar building up again quickly.
Until the next clean
For most patients a clean every six months is enough. If you have gum problems, we recommend a shorter interval.
This is usual
- Sensitivity to cold for a few days.
- Light gum bleeding when brushing in the first days.
- Gaps between teeth that look bigger: that is where the tartar was.
- Gums slightly tender to the touch.
This is not usual
- Sensitivity that hasn't eased after two weeks.
- Gums bleeding more, not less.
- Pain in a single tooth that doesn't go away.
- Swelling of the gum in one spot.
Call us if
- Swelling of the gum or cheek that is growing.
- Strong pain in a tooth that doesn't ease with a painkiller.
- A fever together with swelling in the mouth.
Reviewed by Dr. Voinea ·
CMDR Romania · Galați University of Medicine and Pharmacy · General Dentistry