Post Treatment

Caring for your mouth after local anesthetic.

• If your procedure was performed in the lower jaw, the tongue, teeth, lip, and surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep.
• If your procedure was performed in the upper jaw, the teeth, lip, and surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep.
• Often, children do not understand the effects of local anesthesia and may chew, scratch, suck, or play with the numb lip, tongue, or cheek.
• These actions can cause minor irritations, or they can be severe enough to cause swelling and abrasions to the tissue.
• Monitor your child closely for approximately two hours following the appointment. It is often wise to keep your child on a liquid or soft diet until the anesthetic has worn off.

Download Post-Op Care for Your Child’s Hospital Dentistry Visit

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions.

Caring for your mouth after trauma.

• Please keep the traumatized area as clean as possible. A soft washcloth often works well for cleaning and soothing the area.
• Watch for darkening of traumatized teeth. This could be an indication of a dying nerve (pulp).
• If the swelling should re-occur, our office needs to see you as soon as possible. Ice should be administered during the first 24 hours to keep the swelling to a minimum.
• Watch for infection (gum boils) in the area of trauma. If infection is noticed, call the office so you can be seen as soon as possible.
• Maintain a soft diet for two-to-three days or until you feel comfortable eating normally again.
• Avoid sweets or foods that are extremely hot or cold.
• If antibiotics or pain medicines are prescribed, be sure to follow the prescription as directed.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions.

Caring for your mouth after extractions.

• Do not scratch, chew, suck, or rub the lips, tongue, or cheek while they feel numb or asleep. If your child received the treatment, he or she should be watched closely so they do not injure their lip, tongue, or cheek before the anesthesia wears off.
• Do not rinse the mouth for several hours.
• Do not spit excessively.
• Do not drink carbonated beverages (Coke, Sprite, etc.) for the remainder of the day.
• Do not drink through a straw.
• Keep fingers and tongue away from the extraction area.
• Do not smoke or use tobacco products after an extraction.

Bleeding

Some bleeding is to be expected. If unusual or sustained bleeding occurs, place cotton gauze firmly over the extraction area, and bite down or hold in place for 15 minutes. This can also be accomplished with a tea bag. Repeat, if necessary.

• Maintain a soft diet for a day or two, or until you feel comfortable eating normally again.
• Avoid strenuous exercise or physical activity for several hours after the extraction.

Pain
For discomfort use Tylenol or Children’s Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin, as directed. If a medicine was prescribed, then follow the directions on the bottle.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions.

Oral discomfort after perio or hygiene treatment.

A thorough cleaning can produce a little bleeding and swelling and may cause some tenderness or discomfort. This is due to tender and inflamed gums from insufficient oral hygiene. We recommend the following for two-to-three days after your professional cleaning.

• A warm, saltwater rinse two-to-three times per day (one teaspoon of salt dissolved in one cup of warm water). Note: we do not recommend a saltwater rinse for patients with high blood pressure.
• For discomfort, use Tylenol, or Children’s Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin, as directed.

Please do not hesitate to contact the office if the discomfort persists for more than seven days or if there are any questions.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND that we file dental insurance as a courtesy to our patients. We do not have a contract with your insurance company – only you do. We are not responsible for how your insurance company handles its claims or for what benefits they pay on a claim. We can only assist you in estimating your portion of the cost of treatment. We at no time guarantee what your insurance will or will not do with each claim.