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Care of the
Mouth after Local Anesthetic
Sealants
Oral Discomfort
after Teeth Cleaning
Extraction
EMERGENCIES
Care of the Mouth after
Injury
Care of the Mouth
after Local Anesthetic
When your child has received a local anesthetic for the dental
procedure:
· If the procedure was in the lower jaw: tongue, teeth, lip and
surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep.
· If the procedure was in the upper jaw: teeth, lip and surrounding
tissue will be numb or asleep.
A self-inflicted bite injury is the most common after-treatment
complication. Children do not always understand the effects of local
anesthesia, and may chew, scratch, suck, or play with the numb area.
These actions can cause minor
irritations or they can be severe enough to cause swelling and
abrasions to the tissue. Injured area may appear swollen,
white/yellow and “infected”. However, this is not a result of
infection and does not require antibiotic. You may apply Vaseline /
petroleum jelly and the area will heal in 7 to 10 days without
leaving any scar of the incident.
Please monitor your child closely for three hours following the
appointment. It is best to keep your child on a liquid or soft diet
until the anesthetic has worn off. The uncomfortable feeling of the
numb area “waking up” can be relieved by giving an over the counter
children’s pain medication.
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Sealants
After sealants are placed, the bite may feel a little different due
to the new coating on the chewing surface of the teeth. This is
normal, and the feeling will go away in a few days. The integrity of
sealants is affected by teeth grinding and activity such as eating
ice or hard candy – these can fracture or chip the sealant. Our
office routinely checks on the integrity of sealants and will “touch
up” the sealants as needed.
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Oral Discomfort after
Teeth Cleaning
A thorough teeth cleaning may produce some gum bleeding and swelling
and may cause discomfort of the teeth and gums. This is not due to a
"rough cleaning", but due to tender and inflamed gums which results
from substandard oral hygiene.
If your child experiences gum bleeding or mouth discomfort after
teeth cleaning, we recommend the following for 2 to 3 days:
· For gum bleeding and swelling rinse 2 times daily with warm salt
water rinse (1/4 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water).
· For mouth discomfort use children’s Motrin, Advil or Tylenol as
directed.
To prevent your child from feeling any discomfort at the next
cleaning, maintain twice daily teeth brushing and good oral habits.
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Extraction
When your child has had one or more teeth extracted:
· Gauze should stay in place with biting pressure for approximately
30 minutes. This will reduce the amount of bleeding.
· Give your child children’s Motrin, Advil or Tylenol when you take
the gauze out. Do not give aspirin. Your child should only need the
pain medicine for 24 hours to 48 hours. If pain persists beyond 48
hours, please call our office.
· Your child should eat only soft, bland food for the first two to
three days (nothing sharp, crunchy, too hot or too cold) because the
area may be sensitive. Encourage plenty of liquids (water, soups,
juices, etc.). Let your child determine when a regular diet can be
reintroduced.
· NO spitting or drinking through a straw or "sippy" cup. This
action can start the bleeding again.
· A clean mouth heals faster. Gentle brushing around the extraction
site can be started immediately, along with warm salt water rinses
(1/4 teaspoon salt to a glass of warm water) to help with any
discomfort.
· Activity may need to be limited. Sometimes a nap may help relieve
discomfort.
· Swelling of tissue in the area of extraction is common and should
not cause alarm. If this occurs, apply an ice pack to the face for
15 minutes on and 15 minutes off, as needed in the first 24 hours
following tooth removal.
· Your child's cheek, lip and tongue will be numb for approximately
2 to 3 hours. Please be very careful that your child does not bite
or pick at this area. A self-inflicted bite injury is the most
common after treatment complication. The uncomfortable feeling of
the numb area “waking up” can be relieved by giving an over the
counter children’s pain medication.
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EMERGENCIES
If your child is involved in an accident resulting in injuries to
the mouth or teeth, please call our office as soon as possible. If
you are calling after business hours, you will be able to reach Dr.
Banaji or a member of the team by calling the phone number given on
the answering machine. The first 30 minutes after an accident are
the most critical for treatment of dental trauma.
Fractured or broken tooth: If your child experiences trauma to the
mouth and a tooth becomes broken or fractured, please call the
office for an evaluation of the injury. It is important to bring all
pieces of the broken tooth when coming to the office. Until your
appointment, place tooth pieces in a container with clean cold water
or wrap it in clean wet cloth.
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Swelling: If there is swelling near an injured area,
please call our office for an evaluation. An ice pack wrapped in a
clean cloth may be applied during the first 24 hours after injury to
keep the swelling to a minimum. Anti-inflammatory pain medications
such as children’s motrin, advil or Ibuprofen may be given as per
the directions.
Discoloration of Teeth: Injured teeth may turn dark
and this could be an indication of a dying nerve (pulp). Sometimes
the discoloration lasts for a short period of time and the tooth may
regain its normal or near normal color. More often, the
discoloration lasts for a longer period of time until treated. If
the discoloration lasts for several weeks, please call the office
for an evaluation of the tooth.
Gum Boil, Abscess, Infection: An abscess or gum boil
in the area of trauma is an indication of a dead nerve in the tooth.
This appears as a “pimple” on the gum near the injured tooth.
Treatment should be administered to the area as soon as possible to
reduce pain, swelling or discomfort. It is essential for the
development of healthy permanent teeth, that an injured baby tooth
be treated, rather than extracted. Generally, antibiotics are not
required unless the child has extreme pain, facial swelling or high
fever.
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Knocked out Primary Tooth (Baby Tooth): If you are
certain that it is a baby tooth, do not put it back in the mouth.
Save the tooth, by placing it in a container with clean cold water
or wrap it in clean wet cloth. Please call the office for an
evaluation of the injury.
Knocked out Permanent Tooth: Gently rinse the tooth in
clean water - do not scrub the tooth. If at all possible, put the
tooth back in its place in the socket by holding the wide end and
inserting the pointed end in to the socket. If this is not possible,
save the tooth by placing it in a container with cold white milk,
clean cold water, or wrap it in clean wet cloth. Please call the
office immediately since time is critical for reinsertion of the
permanent tooth.
Impact on Scheduled Appointments: Our schedule may be
delayed in order to accommodate an injured child. Please accept our
apologies in advance if we are running behind due to treatment of a
child with a dental emergency. We will provide the same care should
your child ever need emergency treatment.
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Care of the Mouth after
Injury
Hygiene: Please keep the injured area as clean as
possible. If regular tooth brushing is not possible, a soft wash
cloth or gauze may be used to clean the injured area during the
healing process. Your child may use a gentle mouth wash such as ACT
for Kids fluoride rinse, Fluorigard or PhosFlur.
Diet: Maintain a diet of soft foods (pasta, eggs,
soup, jell-o, pudding, etc.) for two to three days, or until the
child feels comfortable eating normally again. Avoid foods that are
extremely hot or cold, as well as foods with high sugar content. A
diet supplement such as Pediasure may also be used during the
healing period to ensure proper nutrition and fluid intake.
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