Post Operative Care
Restorations (Fillings) with local anesthesia
Extraction
Fluoride Treatment / Cleanings
Fixed Appliances / Space Maintainer
Restorations (Fillings) with local anesthesia
We often use local anesthetic to numb the mouth during dental treatment.
- The numbness usually lasts 2-4 hours.
- Watch to see that your child does not bite, scratch, or injure the cheek,
lips, or tongue during this time. If this occurs your child can experience
swelling, ulcerations, bruising or discomfort.
- Do not scratch, chew, suck, or rub the lips, tongue, or cheek while they feel numb or asleep. The child should be watched closely so he/she does not injure his/her lip, tongue, or cheek before the anesthesia wears off.
- Do not rinse the mouth for several hours.
- Do not spit excessively.
- Do not drink a carbonated beverage (Coke, Sprite, etc.) for the remainder of the day.
- Do not drink through a straw.
- Keep fingers and tongue away from the extraction area.
- 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 fifteen minutes. This can also be accomplished with a tea bag. Repeat if necessary.
- Maintain a soft diet for a day or two, or until the child feels comfortable eating normally again.
- Avoid strenuous exercise or physical activity for several hours after the extraction.
- Pain - For discomfort use Children's Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as directed for the weight and age of the child.
Please do not hesitate to contact the office if there are any questions.
Fluoride Treatment / Cleanings- No eating, drinking, or rinsing for 30 minutes after fluoride treatment.
- Some minor discomfort, unusual speech or drooling is expected with a newly placed appliance. If the appliance interferes with normal eating or sleeping, call our office immediately so that the problem can be corrected before it becomes serious.
- If the appliance becomes loose or distorted call the office immediately.
- Special care should be taken to eliminate hard sticky foods and chewing gum from the diet. They may bend the appliance or loosen the bands/brackets. If the appliance becomes loose or falls out, save it, and call the office immediately for an appointment. Bring the appliance with you to your appointment.
- You and your child should take extra care in cleaning the teeth now that the appliance has been placed. Food may become trapped under wires and bands and it should be removed as soon as possible. We may need to examine the appliance. We will inform you as to how often.
Please call us if you have any concerns or questions relating to your child’s treatment.
What is a pediatric dentist?
When should I take my child to the dentist for the first check-up?
When should I start cleaning my baby's teeth?
How often should we brush and floss each day?
How do I make my child's diet safe for their teeth?
Should my child give up all foods with sugar or starch?
What is a pediatric dentist?
A pediatric dentist is a specialist who has two to three years specialty training following dental school and limits their practice to infants, children, adolescents, and persons with special needs. They have the experience and qualifications to care for a child’s teeth, gums, and mouth throughout the various stages of childhood.
When should I take my child to the dentist for the first check-up?
The Canadian Dental Association and the Canadian and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that an evaluation be completed by a dentist within six months after the eruption of the first tooth or by one year of age. Early examination and preventive care will protect your your child's smile now and in the future.
When should I start cleaning my baby's teeth?
Starting at birth, clean your child's gums with a soft infant toothbrush or cloth and water. As soon as the teeth begin to erupt, start brushing twice daily using non-fluoridated toothpaste and a soft, age-appropriate sized toothbrush. Use a "smear" of toothpaste to brush the teeth of a child less than 2 years of age. Keep the tube of toothpaste out of your child's reach. For the 2-5 year old, dispense a "pea-size" amount of fluoridated toothpaste and perform or assist your child's tooth brushing. It often helps to allow your child to brush first, and then the caregiver to brush afterwards to provide adequate brushing. Encourage your child to spit out the toothpaste if possible. Remember that young children do not have the ability to brush their teeth effectively. Therefore it is recommended to supervise and assist the brushing and flossing of children up to eight years of age.
How often should be brush and floss each day?
Tooth brushing is one of the easiest methods of cavity prevention. Brushing should occur a minimum of twice daily and flossing once daily. Use soft bristled toothbrushes (manual or battery powered) and discard when bristles begin to fray. Frayed bristles can harm the gums and are not as effective in cleaning the teeth.
How do I make my child's diet safe for their teeth?
Be sure to have a balanced diet including fruits, vegetables, grains, meats and/or beans, and milk. Check how frequently they eat foods with sugar or starch in them. Foods with starch include breads, crackers, pasta and snacks, such as pretzels and potato chips. When checking for sugar, look beyond the sugar bowl and candy dish. A variety of foods contain one or more types of sugars and all types of sugars can promote dental decay. Fruits, a few vegetables, and most milk products have at least one type of sugar. Sugar can be found in many processed foods, even some that do not taste sweet.
Should my child give up all foods with sugar or starch?
NO! Many foods with sugar and starch provide nutrients that your child needs. You simply need to select and serve them wisely. A food or drink with sugar or starch is safer for teeth if it is eaten with a meal, not as a snack. Sticky foods, such as dried fruit or toffee, are not easily washed away from the teeth by saliva, water or milk. Therefore, they have more cavity-causing potential than foods more rapidly cleared from the teeth.
Please feel free to ask one of our pediatric dentists any question or concern that you may have regarding the oral health of your child.
Alberta Dental Association & College
www.abda.ab.ca
Canadian Dental Association
www.cda-adc.ca
Alberta Society of Dental Specialists
www.albertadentalspecialists.ca
Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
www.capd-acdp.org
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
www.aapd.org