Care After Dental Treatments

Taking care of your child after a procedure has been completed is an important part of the healing  process. Someone from the BeanTeam will go over with you any precautions you should take and anything you should monitor after your child’s visit to our office.

Postprocedure Care is Very Important

Unnecessary pain and the complications of infection and swelling can be minimized if you follow the instructions carefully. The following are some common concerns after various dental procedures. Please call us at (904) 372-3260 if you have any questions.

Local Anesthetic

If your child has been given an injection of local anesthetic, the teeth, lip, gums, and cheek may be numb for a few hours. Some children may become upset at the feeling of numbness, interpreting that feeling as pain. Reassure them that this is temporary and that the “funny feeling” will shortly subside and go away. It may help to give the child a popsicle to suck. Wait until the numbness subsides before giving any food.

It is very important that you watch your child closely, in order to monitor accidental biting of the numb lip, tongue or cheek. Should your child inadvertently bite his or her lip, keep the area clean. Saltwater rinses, cool compresses, popsicles and ice cream, as well as children’s ibuprofen, may help. It will take a few days, but the bite will heal. Swelling is normal and will subside with proper care. Antibiotics are not necessary if the swelling is localized to the area of the injury.

Stainless Steel Crowns

If your child has been given an injection of local anesthetic, the teeth, lip, gums, and cheek may be numb for a few hours. Some children may become upset at the feeling of numbness, interpreting that feeling as pain. Reassure them that this is temporary and that the “funny feeling” will shortly subside and go away. It may help to give the child a popsicle to suck. Wait until the numbness subsides before giving any food.

Placement of a stainless steel crown can be followed by some slight bleeding and irritation around the gums. Often, this is caused by the process by which the tooth is prepared for acceptance of the crown. The healing process will take only a few days if the tooth and mouth are kept clean with proper brushing and flossing. However, your child should be careful not to chew hard or sticky foods that could dislodge the crown. Brushing and rinsing with salt water may help speed healing.

Composite Fillings

Often there is little discomfort after placement of fillings. On occasion, there is some transient discomfort that usually subsides shortly. If a local anesthetic was given, the discomfort may originate from the injection site rather than from the tooth itself. Because white fillings do not wear the same way silver fillings do, an adjustment in the bite may be required. In that case, a short follow-up visit may be necessary.

If your child experiences sensitivity to heat and cold, pain when chewing or spontaneous pain, please call our office for an appointment.

Extractions

Some minimal bleeding is normal the day of the procedure. You may notice a very small amount of blood with brushing, eating or sleeping within the next few days. If the bleeding cannot be easily stopped with a piece of cloth or gauze, or a wet tea bag, please call our office.

If there is slight bleeding from the extraction site, have your child bite down on a clean, moist piece of gauze for three to five minutes. Moisten the gauze with cold water, but squeeze out most of the water. Should the bleeding persist uncontrollably, call us so we can advise you. For a day following the procedure, minimize sucking through a straw or spitting; since that could aggravate bleeding. He or she should avoid chewing crunchy foods for a few days. Keep the site clean by brushing very gently around the area twice a day. Gently rinsing with warm salt water may help speed the healing process. Use ibuprofen as directed for any pain.

Pulpotomy (Nerve Treatment)

This procedure does not normally require any special aftercare instructions. A diet of soft foods for a few days following the procedure is sometimes helpful, should there be discomfort.

Sealants

Sealants are placed on the chewing surfaces of teeth to protect them from cavities. In order to maintain the sealant’s integrity, your child should avoid chewing ice or hard, sticky candies.

Please contact our office if your child has swelling, a fever above 101°F or any other urgent symptoms that concern you, please call our office immediately or take your child to the closest urgent-care center or hospital  emergency room.

Frenectomies (Tongue and Lip Tie Revisions)

Post-Operative Swelling

It is normal to have swelling (especially after maxillary/lip revisions) that is most pronounced 24-72 hours post-op. After 72 hours the swelling should noticeably improve. Try to keep children’s hands/fingers away (as best you can) from the revision sites especially while anesthetized (typically for an hour post-op in those 6 months and older).

  • Discomfort typically lasts about 3 days, with day 2-3 being the most uncomfortable.
  • Cold/ice compress may be helpful (especially for maxillary/lip revisions) and can be used as tolerated in toddlers and older children for the first 3 post-op days.
  • Some infants/children experience improvement in symptoms related to poor lip/tongue mobility right away, in some this process takes several weeks or longer.
  • Some change in sleep, behavior, and nursing patterns can be expected for the first 72 hours and typically improves greatly after day 3.
  • If nursing and experiencing difficulty pre-revision, please make an appointment with your lactation consultant for the day of or after the revision procedure.
  • If the child is six (6) pounds or over, over the counter Tylenol can be given orally every 6 hours as needed. Consult with your pediatrician for dosage.
  • We do not recommend any herbal or homeopathic products at this time, especially for infants.
  • Only use ibuprofen/Motrin/Advil in children 6 months and older. Consult with your pediatrician for dosage.

Post-Operative Frenectomy Stretching Guidelines

  • It is normal for babies and young children to fuss during the time it takes to complete the stretches.
  • Start tonight and complete at least twice a day, until revision sites are back to normal pink color; which can take up to 21 days.
  • Stretches are best done with the infant/child placed in your lap (or lying on a bed) with the feet away from you.
  • Make sure fingernails are short and wash hands well with soap and water before completing the stretches.
  • A small amount of bleeding in the revision area(s) is normal especially during stretches completed for the first 10 post-op days.
  • Using cold water/ice to help cool your finger prior to the stretches may help, but discomfort is normal if the stretches are being done properly.
  • Completing the stretches as recommended will help to optimize tongue and lip mobility after frenectomy.
  • These stretches should only take about 10 seconds to complete (for each revision area).

Upper Lip Stretches

  • Hold the lip on both sides of the revision area and lift lip up towards the nose. Complete this 4 times.
  • Place your finger at the bottom of the revision site and move up while pressing in and up sweep the finger under the lip towards the nose through the entire revision site.
  • Sweep finger in the same motion up and down 4 times then side to side across the revision area 4 times.
  • Remember, the main goal of this stretch is to maintain adequate depth of the diamond-shaped healing tissue and maximize mobility of the lip.

Tongue Stretches

  • Use one pointer finger on dominant hand (insert from side of mouth or front, whichever is easiest).
  • Use finger to press down under the tongue in the middle and deepest area of the revision site then lift up the tongue with a C-shaped motion going up towards the roof of the mouth then back down through the entire length of the diamond-shaped revision area on the floor of the mouth.
  • This complete C-shaped motion should be done 4 times.
  • Remember, the main goal of this stretch is to maintain adequate depth of the diamond-shaped healing tissue and maximize mobility of the tongue.

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