Post Dental Treatment Instructions

Information on Local Anesthetic

Your child received a local anesthetic for the procedure rendered today. Numbness of the tongue, cheek, lips, or face, depending on the injection site, may last for several hours.

It is important to watch your son or daughter for as long as the numbness lasts (at least two hours) to make certain your child does not chew his or her tongue or lips, and does not scratch, rub, or pinch the face. It is possible to injure these tissues and, because they do not feel pain, do considerable damage.

Please make sure your youngster eats only soft foods for the rest of the day. It is often wise to keep your child on a liquid or soft diet until the anesthetic has worn off. If your little one does bite his or her lip, cheek, or tongue by accident, the area will usually swell and ulcerate but should heal completely within seven to ten days.

Restorations

After the placement of a silver or white restoration (filling), we suggest a diet limited to fluids and soft foods. It is also essential to follow the anesthetic guidelines listed above. Following placement of new restorations, some thermal sensitivity to warm and cold may be expected for a few weeks.

Care of Sealant

By forming a thin covering over the pits and fissures, sealants keep out plaque and food, and thus reduce the risk of decay. Since the covering is only over the biting surface of the tooth, areas on the side and between teeth cannot be coated with the sealant.

Good oral hygiene and nutrition are still worthwhile for preventing decay next to these sealants or in areas unable to be covered. Your child should refrain from eating ice or hard candy, which tend to fracture the sealant. Regular dental appointments are recommended in order for us to be certain the sealants remain in place.

A total prevention program includes regular visits to our office, the use of fluoride, daily brushing and flossing, and a limit on the number of times sugar-rich foods are eaten. If these measures are followed and sealants are placed on the child’s teeth, the risk of decay can be reduced.

Extractions

After the removal of a tooth, there are several precautionary steps that should be followed:

  1. Firm pressure should be maintained by biting on gauze provided for a period of time to stop the bleeding. Repeat as necessary.
  2. Do not rinse the mouth for 24 hours. Do not spit excessively. Do not drink a carbonated beverage (Coke, Sprite, etc.) for the remainder of the day. Avoid hot foods and beverages. Do not drink through a straw. Keep fingers and tongue away from the extraction area.
  3. Gauze should be changed every 15 minutes.
  4. Follow anesthetic guidelines listed above.
  5. Remain on soft diet for 24 hours.
  6. Avoid drinking from a straw for 24 hours.

Steel Crowns and Space Maintainers

These treatment appliances can be dislodged very easily with hard, chewy foods (caramels, jaw breakers, bubble gum, etc.), Therefore, these food items should be avoided at all times. If the space maintainer or crown should become dislodged, place it in a box and telephone our office for an appointment immediately.

It is vital that recementation be done as soon as possible because teeth move very rapidly, and within a short period of time, enough damage will occur so a new appliance will be necessary.

We will not accept responsibility for damage done by neglect or failure to follow the above instructions.

Contact Us

Young Smiles Dentistry for Kids

 4150 Macland Road Ste. 205
Powder Springs, GA 30127
(770) 222-1344


 10365 Tara Boulevard
Jonesboro, GA 30236
(770) 626-9002