Post Procedure Care
Preventative
Flouride Varnish Application
After most fluoride treatments, patients should not eat or drink for at least 30 minutes to increase the fluoride’s direct contact with the teeth.
Sealants
After a sealant is placed, your child may feel the coating on their teeth. The feeling subsides within 24 hours. After the sealant appointment your child should refrain from eating sticky or chewy foods for 24 hours.
Restorative
After local anesthesia
Monitor your child closely for approximately for 2-4 hours following the appointment. It is wise to keep your child on a liquid or soft diet until the anesthetic has worn off. Remind your child to refrain from biting, scratching, picking, sucking, playing with numb areas. Some children become very upset (even crying) and complain of pain when they realize their mouth feels “different”. Please do not be alarmed. Many children are unfamiliar with this numb sensation and associate this with pain. Reassure your child that the “funny feeling” will go away.
After nitrous oxide
“Laughing Gas” was used during your child’s appointment. Nitrous oxide has a proven track record of being very safe in providing anxiety relief with nausea being a rare side effect. The doctor has provided 100% oxygen at the end of the visit so the nitrous oxide is flushed out of the system.
Fillings / Operative Care
Some tooth and gum tissue manipulation was necessary to perform the procedure and may result in sensitivity or discomfort. Should this occur, you may give your child Children’s Tylenol or Motrin, as directed for the age/weight of your child. After the placement of dental fillings, teeth may also feel sensitive for a brief period of time. It is not uncommon for recently filled teeth to require several weeks to feel “normal’ again.
Stainless Steel Crowns
Your child’s teeth have been covered with a silver stainless steel crown which has been shaped to fit the tooth, cover it completely and strengthen the tooth allowing your child to maintain that tooth until it naturally falls out. The gum tissue surrounding the tooth may appear to be bleeding. This is normal! When preparing your child’s tooth for a crown, it is necessary to fit the crown closely to the gum tissue, resulting in some bleeding/bruising o tissue. Following this placement of crowns, some parents will notice a discoloration around gums and discomfort, this is normal and will subside over time.
Pulp treatment Pulpotomy
Pulpectomy
Baby Root Canals
Although it is not necessary, if your child is experiencing sensitivity/discomfort, you may give your child Children’s Tylenol/Motrin as directed for the age and weight of your child.
Extractions
After dental extractions, your child will have gauze pressure to control normal bleeding from the extraction site. Most dental extractions are routine and it is unlikely that your child will need any antibiotics. It is normal to “ooze” from the extraction site as saliva mixed with blood tends to pool. Unless your child has bleeding issues and there is no suspicion of abnormal bleeding, this usually dissipates.
Please instruct your child not to rinse, spit, or drink through a straw. Have them keep fingers and tongue away from the area. Maintain a soft/acid-free diet for a day or two, or until the child feels comfortable eating normally again. Avoid strenuous exercise and physical activity for the rest of the day after the extraction. For discomfort use Children’s Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as directed for the age and weight of your child.