EXTRACTION
- The gauze “band-aid” needs to stay in place with biting pressure for 30 minutes.
- Give your child the appropriate dose of children’s Tylenol or Motrin when you take the gauze “band-aid” out. Your child should only need this for approximately 12-24 hours. If discomfort persists beyond 48 hours, call our office.
- Your child should eat only soft food for two to three days – nothing crunchy and nothing too hot or cold because the area may be a little sensitive. Encourage plenty of liquids (water, soups, etc). A regular diet can be started as tolerated by your child.
- NO SPITTING OR DRINKING THROUGH A STRAW! This can start the bleeding again.
- A clean mouth heals faster. Gentle brushing around the extraction site can be started immediately along with warm salt water rinses (1/4 teaspoon to a glass of water) to aid with any discomfort.
- Activity may need to be limited; sometimes a nap is a good idea.
- Your child’s cheek, lip and tongue will be numb for approximately 2-4 hours. Please be very careful that your child does not bite at his/her cheek or pick at this area. As this area “wakes up” it may feel funny.
FILLING
- Your child’s cheek, lip and tongue will be numb for approximately 2-4 hours. Please be very careful that your child does not bite at his/her cheek or pick at this area. As this area “wakes up” it may feel funny.
- Give your child the appropriate dose of children’s Tylenol or Motrin so they will have some pain medicine on board once the local anesthetic wears off. Usually, the recovery after a filling is pretty easy and children do not require more than one dose of a Tylenol or motrin.
- Afterwards, there may be a little soreness around the gumline. Brush and rinse well since a clean mouth heals faster!
CROWN
- Your child’s cheek, lip and tongue will be numb for approximately 2-4 hours. Please be very careful that your child does not bite at his/her cheek or pick at this area. As this area “wakes up” it may feel funny.
- Give your child the appropriate dose of children’s Tylenol or Motrin so they will have some pain medicine on board once the local anesthetic wears off. Usually, the recovery after a crown is pretty easy and children do not require more than one dose of a Tylenol or Motrin.
- Crowns have to be seated below the gumline so many times the gums are sore after a crown has been placed. The gums can be inflamed and make brushing difficult. Sometimes you may even see a little bit of bleeding around the gums when brushing your child’s crown. It is very important to brush and floss around the crown because a clean mouth heals faster. The Cleaner you keep the area around the crown the sooner the gums will heal well and get back to normal.
SEALANTS
- Avoid eating any ice or hard candy. Ice and hard candy are very hard and can fracture the sealant.
CLEANING WITH A FLUORIDE APPLICATION
- Sometimes your child will have some bleeding around the gums after a cleaning. This is not due to the dentist or assistant being “too rough” but due to the gums being inflamed and prone to bleeding if oral hygiene has not been thoroughly maintained. Just rinse with some warm salt water and use children’s Tylenol or Motrin for any discomfort.
- Your child should eat a soft diet for the rest of the day if they have had a fluoride varnish application (the white gooey fluoride). Try to avoid crunchy foods. They can knock the varnish off of the teeth.
- Teeth should not be flossed and brushed until the morning after the fluoride varnish application, at which time a regular schedule of careful oral hygiene should be resumed.
Follow all instructions. If you have a problem please call the office.