Dental Treatment Pre-Op Guide

Preparing properly for dental treatment makes a real difference to how smoothly the day goes and how comfortable your recovery is afterward. The steps below cover what most patients need to know before treatment at Dentavivo. They're general guidance, not personal medical advice: your dentist will confirm exact instructions for your specific procedure after your consultation.

Before your treatment: your first steps

Once you get in touch, one of our team reviews your dental history, talks through any concerns, and asks you to share imaging if you have it. If X-rays aren't provided in advance, we can only put together a general plan; a precise one depends on seeing your actual imaging. This is also the point where you should mention any allergies, ongoing health conditions, and medications you're taking, since these all shape what your dentist recommends.

What to bring

Recent X-rays or dental photos. If you have them from a previous dentist, bring copies (digital or printed).
A list of your medications and allergies. Include supplements and anything you take occasionally, not just daily prescriptions.
Comfortable, short-sleeved clothing. Easier for the team to work with and more comfortable if you need an IV line placed.
Any relevant medical reports. Particularly if you have a condition that could affect anesthesia or healing.

Anesthesia overview

Most dental treatments at Dentavivo, including crowns and similar restorative work, are carried out under local anesthesia. General anesthesia is only used for implant surgery, comes at an additional cost, and requires anesthesiologist approval. If general anesthesia is part of your plan, let us know before you arrive so the required hospital tests can be arranged in time; this isn't something that can be added on the day.

The golden rule. Tell us about every medication, supplement, and health condition, even ones that seem unrelated to your teeth. Anesthesia and treatment planning are built around this information, and leaving something out, even something that feels minor, is one of the easiest ways to run into an avoidable problem on treatment day.

The day before and the morning of

The day before

Avoid alcohol and smoking for at least 24 hours before your appointment. Pick up any cold packs and soft foods you'll want at home afterward, things like yogurt, cottage cheese, or pudding work well, so you're not shopping on your way back from treatment.

The morning of

Brush and rinse thoroughly. Wear comfortable, short-sleeved clothing and leave contact lenses, jewelry, and watches at your hotel. Use the restroom about 30 minutes before your appointment time.

During your treatment

What happens during your appointment depends on the procedure. Most restorative and cosmetic work, such as crowns, veneers, and fillings, is completed under local anesthesia in a single visit. Surgical procedures, including wisdom tooth extraction, gum surgery, and dental implant placement, may take longer and, in the case of implants, can involve general anesthesia if that's what your treatment plan calls for.

After your treatment: post-operative care

Aftercare instructions vary by procedure, but these general steps apply to most patients following surgical or restorative treatment:

If there's bleeding, bite down on damp gauze for about an hour, or a moistened tea bag for 20 to 30 minutes.
Use ice packs on the outside of your face for the first 24 hours to help with swelling.
Wait until 48 hours have passed before starting warm salt water rinses. Once you do, keep brushing and flossing the rest of your mouth as normal, just gently around the treated area.
Avoid smoking for at least 72 hours; longer is better for healing.
Avoid alcohol for several days, especially if you've been prescribed pain relievers, since the two can interact.
Plan on resting for 1 to 2 days, with your head kept elevated, including while you sleep.
Stick to soft, cool foods while the area heals.
Take any medication your dentist prescribed exactly as directed, and continue your regular medications unless told otherwise.
If you're prescribed antibiotics and take hormonal birth control, ask your dentist about it: antibiotics can reduce how well birth control works.

Aftercare by treatment type

The general steps above apply across the board, but a few treatments come with their own specific points worth knowing in addition.

Surgical Procedures (Implants, Extractions, Bone Graft & Sinus Lift)

No straws, vigorous rinsing or spitting, or smoking for the first 24 to 48 hours.
After a sinus lift or bone graft, don't blow your nose or sneeze forcefully for at least a week; sneeze with your mouth open if you need to.
With implants and full-arch restorations (All-on-4 / All-on-6), stick to soft foods for a week or two and avoid chewing on the site until it's confirmed healed.
Swelling and bruising commonly peak around day 2 or 3.
An implant needs several months to fully fuse with the bone, so keep treating the area gently well beyond the first week.

Restorative & Cosmetic Work (Veneers, Crowns, Bonding & Root Canal)

Mild sensitivity to hot and cold, or soreness when biting, is normal for the first few days and typically resolves on its own.
Avoid biting directly into very hard foods like ice or hard candy to protect the restoration.
With composite bonding, avoid staining foods and drinks for the first 48 hours while the material fully sets.
With a root canal, avoid chewing on the treated side until any temporary filling or crown is finalized.
Contact your dentist if your bite feels uneven or pain is severe or worsening, rather than living with it.

Teeth Whitening

Follow a "white diet" for 24 to 48 hours: skip coffee, tea, red wine, and dark sauces.
Teeth are more porous and prone to staining right after whitening.
Some temporary sensitivity to cold in the first day or two is common and settles on its own.
Avoid smoking over the same period, for the same reason.
Sticking to this routine for the full 48 hours makes the biggest difference to how long your results stay bright.

Follow-up appointments

Your dentist will schedule follow-up visits to check on healing, confirm your treatment is progressing as expected, and make any final adjustments before your case is considered complete. Multi-visit procedures, such as crowns or implant-supported restorations, need these additional appointments as a normal part of the process, not as a sign that anything has gone wrong. Your dentist will tell you upfront whether your treatment fits into a single trip or needs a return visit to Istanbul, so you can plan your travel dates around it rather than finding out partway through.

If you're already back home and a question comes up, whether it's something about normal healing you want to check, or something that feels off, message us on WhatsApp and we'll advise you on what to do next, including whether you should see a dentist locally in the meantime while we stay in touch about your case.

Questions before you travel?

If anything here doesn't match what you were told during your consultation, or you're not sure how it applies to your specific treatment, ask us before you travel rather than after you arrive.

This guide is general information and does not replace instructions from your own dentist. Individual pre-op and aftercare requirements depend on your treatment plan and medical history, and will be confirmed by your dentist before and after your procedure.