Post operative instructions
Exposure of a tooth
and bonding a bracket
You have had surgery to expose an unerupted tooth as part of the orthodontic treatment to align your teeth.
The tooth may be exposed in the roof of your mouth and so the area will feel very strange to your tongue initially as it rubs over the area. Don't worry about this as your tongue will quickly become used to the new landscape.
Wherever your newly exposed tooth is in your mouth it is good to help the gum around the tooth to heal and this will be achieved by rinsing the area with a warm salt water solution, this is best started approximately 24 hours after the surgery and should continue for approximately 7 days. Rinse with salt water twice per day and make the salt water by adding a teaspoon of table salt to a cup of warm water.
There may be a metal bracket attached to the exposed tooth which was glued to the tooth at the time of surgery, this will be utilised by the orthodontist when you return to see them. Sometimes the bracket will have a gold chain attached to it.
Stitches / Sutures
These may have been placed at the time of surgery - if so these will be the dissolving type and typically take 1 - 2 weeks to dissolve away so no need to have sutures removed.
Post operative painkillers will be prescribed by the anaesthetist and sometimes a course of antibiotics will be prescribed as well
Food / Diet
Your diet / food should be kept as soft as possible for a few days after surgery try to chew away from the area of the surgery and avoid foodstuffs with nuts or seeds in them.
Toothbrushing
Toothbrushing after an exposure can be carried out as per usual but the newly exposed tooth shouldn't be brushed until approximately a week after the surgery.
