Post Treatment Care

LOCAL ANESTHESIA

If your child has received numbing medication for his/her dental care, the lips/tongue/cheek may be numb for up to two (2) hours afterward. Please observe them carefully and discourage touching, sucking, or chewing on the numb areas. These activities can severely damage the lips. If your child severely traumatizes the lips, then the lips may take up to a week to heal.

Only very soft foods and liquids are recommended if your child is hungry. After the two hours have passed, any food except sticky, hard foods are allowable. Youngsters generally do not like the feeling of anesthesia and often tell parents it hurts, but they do not know any other way to express the ballooning, tingly feeling.

DISCOMFORT

If your child complains of discomfort after the dental appointment, please give your child Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen) by weight recommendations on the bottle if your child can tolerate this medication. Otherwise, Tylenol is an acceptable alternative. It may take up to an hour for discomfort to be alleviated after taking the medication. If discomfort is severe or persists, call our office at 281-870-9270 and a doctor will be paged by the answering service.

FILLINGS OR CROWNS

If your child has received fillings or crowns, you can USUALLY expect numb lips. Occasionally, children have gum sensitivity or redness after white fillings or stainless steel crowns are placed. Drizzling Benadryl elixir on the gum tissue can help alleviate the sensitivity reaction. If necessary, applying the elixir for several days can make your child more comfortable.

NERVE TREATMENTS

If your child has had a nerve treatment, please review the discomfort instructions. If your child has been placed on antibiotics, then please continue the antibiotics as instructed.

SEDATION

The sedation medication will make your child clumsy. Please closely monitor their physical activity for four (4) hours. We advise NOT sending them back to school. Please choose activities that do not require gross motor skills. Hold hands with your child while walking or climbing stairs to avoid stumbling or falls. Watching movies, coloring, reading, or being read to are good choices for activities. Do NOT allow your child to overheat.

EXTRACTIONS

If your child has had a tooth (or teeth) extracted, they will almost ALWAYS have numb lips. Avoid forceful spitting, use of straws, pacifiers, bottles, and drinking of carbonated or hot beverages as these cause prolonged bleeding and/or pain. Oozing may be normal for a day or two. Cooler foods are recommended to help stop oozing, swelling, and pain. Quieter activities without overheating are better for several days if at all possible.