Post-Op Care

Care of the mouth after local anesthetic
Care of the mouth after extractions
Care of the mouth after trauma
Care of a white or stainless steel crown
Care of a fixed appliance
Care of sealants

Care of the mouth after local anesthetic:

• If the procedure was in the lower jaw, the side of the tongue and the lower lip will be numb or asleep.
• If the procedure was in the upper jaw, the upper lip will be numb or asleep.
• Children do not realize the effects of local anesthesia and because of curiosity will pick, pull, suck or starch the area. This may lead to trauma of the area and cause your child to have an ulcer in the area for 7-10 days.
• Monitor your child frequently during the approximately 2 hours after the dental appointment. During this time it would be wise to have your child eat only a liquid diet.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions. 913-250-6583

Care of the mouth after extractions:

• Have your child bite on gauze with moderate pressure for 10 minutes following surgery, it is okay to swallow their saliva. Do not rinse or spit during for the first day.
• A little bleeding may continue for a short time and may be found in the saliva. This is normal. For example if you place a drop of red dye in a pitcher of clear water the water will turn red. This is a similar example; the whole pitcher is not blood it just appears to be because it is red.
• Your child’s mouth should be kept clean. Continue brushing all other teeth in their mouth. You can gently brush around the extracted area.
• Children’s Motrin or Tylenol should be given in alternating doses per recommended dosage chart found on the medication. Please do not give to your child if they are allergic to these medications. If they are allergic ask our office for a substitute. Very rarely if ever is a medicine prescribed other than Motrin or Tylenol.
• Your child can start with a soft diet and switch to normal foods as they tolerate them. They should not use a straw for a couple days.
• Do not drink carbonated beverages for the remainder of the day.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions. 913-250-6583

Care of the mouth after trauma:

• Please keep the area as clean as possible. It may be sensitive for the child to brush the traumatized area. Keeping it clean will enhance the healing of the area. A tooth brush or soft wash cloth maybe used to keep the area clean.
• Maintain a soft diet as recommended by the provider. This diet may last 2-3 days up to 2weeks depending on the trauma.
• Immediately after the trauma it is advised to use cold compress/ice on the area for 20 minutes on and off. If the swelling should reoccur please call the office immediately as this can be a sign of growing infection.
• Watch for a darkening of the tooth. If this happen immediately after the trauma it can be a naturally occurring effect of the trauma but if this happen long after the trauma it could mean the tooth nerve is starting to die. You may notice a “gum boil” or “zit” along the inside of the mouth. If you notice this please contact our office for an evaluation as this is a sign of infection of the nerve.
• If antibiotics are prescribed please follow the direction as described.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions: 913-250-6583

Care of a white or stainless steel crown:

• Avoid sticky or very chewy foods (hard candies, jolly ranchers, now and laters) as this may create enough force to pull the crown off. The crown is only cemented to your teeth. You child’s jaw is very strong and can generate enough force to easily break the cement holding the crown to the tooth.
• Sometimes while making the necessary space for the crown the gums will be sore. A warm salt water rinse 2-3 times per day can lead to good healing (1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup warm water).
• Flossing is still necessary for the gums to heal appropriately.
• A child’s crown is not made the same way as an adult crown and the occlusion (bite) may feel funny for a couple days. In most all of our cases this “weird “ bite resolves on its own.
• For mild discomfort use Children’s Tylenol or Motrin as directed by the age and weight of the child.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions. 913-250-6583

Care of a fixed appliance:

• Avoid sticky or very chewy foods to include caramels, fruit rollups and bubble gum. Eating these types of foods may cause the appliance to become loose.
• The wires and bands may make it more difficult to clean your teeth, however it is very important to brush all your teeth even better than normal. Especially brush those teeth which have the bands cemented to them.
• DO NOT play with your appliance with your finger, tongue, silverware or other objects. It is important to check the tightness of the appliance once a week by gently tugging on the band; it should not move up or down. If the appliance comes loose, call to get it recemented.

Please do not hesitate to call the office if there are any questions. 913-250-6583

Care of sealants:

By placing a thin covering over the grooves of your teeth your risk of cavities is reduced as food and plaque getting stuck in those grooves is reduced. As the covering is only over the tops of the teeth a sealant does not reduce the risk of cavities in-between or on the sides of the teeth. Good oral hygiene habits must not be forgotten because one has received sealants.

As the layer is thin your child should refrain from chewing hard candies or ice as these are strong enough to fracture the sealant. Regular dental appointments are recommended to evaluate the success of the sealant.