Post-Procedure Care

If your child has been given an injection of local anesthesia, the teeth, lip, gums and cheek may be numb for a couple of hours. Some children may become dismayed by the feeling of numbness, interpreting that sensation as “pain”. Reassure them that this is only temporary and that the numb feeling will go away shortly. It may help to give the child a sugar-free popsicle to enjoy. Wait until the numbness subsides before giving any solid food to avoid biting the lip, tongue or inside of the mouth.

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

Some bleeding is considered normal the day of the procedure. You may observe a small amount of blood with brushing, eating or sleeping within the next few days after the procedure. If the bleeding cannot be stopped with a piece of gauze, or a wet black tea bag, please call our office immediately.

If there is slight bleeding from the extraction site, have your child bite down on a clean piece of gauze for three to five minutes.  Should the bleeding persist uncontrollably, contact us as soon as possible us we can advise you.  For the day following the procedure, minimize drinking through a straw or spitting out since such actions could aggravate bleeding, making your child bleed more. He or she should avoid chewing crunchy foods for a few days so soft diet would be better. Keep the site clean by brushing very carefully around the area twice a day. Gentle rinsing with warm salt water may help to accelerate the healing process. Use pain medication, such as ibuprofen, as directed for any pain or discomfort.

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

Sometimes there is little discomfort after placement of dental fillings.  There may be some transient discomfort that usually subsides. If local anesthesia 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 needed. In such a case, a short follow-up visit may be necessary to make an adjustment.

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

The pulpotomy procedure does not normally require any special aftercare instructions. A diet of soft foods for a few days following the procedure is sometimes helpful, if there was any discomfort after treatment.

Sealants are placed on the chewing surfaces of teeth to protect them from cavities.  In order to maintain the sealants, your child should avoid chewing ice or hard, sticky candies.  Since sealant only cover the biting surfaces, your child still needs to floss and brush to decrease chance of cavities on the other surfaces of those teeth.