Post Operative Instructions

Your child has received local anesthetic necessary for dental treatment.

Children do not fully understand the effects of local anesthetics or what it means to be numb. Please follow the instructions below to prevent unnecessary problems that may occur following administration of local anesthetics.

1. The teeth, lips, and surrounding tissues (including the tongue if work has been done in the lower jaw) will be numb for nearly two hours. Do not allow your child to chew, bite or suck on the numb oral tissues.

2. Keep your child on a liquid or soft diet until the numbness has subsided.

3. If stainless steel crowns have been placed, do not allow your child to eat sticky foods or candy (bubble gum, taffy, caramel, fruit roll-ups, etc.) for the life of the crown. Please call the office if the crown comes off so that we can schedule an appointment to have the crown recemented.

4. For pain or discomfort, give children’s Tylenol or Motrin/Advil as recommended on the bottle.

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Post Extraction Instructions

Please follow the instructions below if your child had a tooth or teeth extracted today:

1. Do not rinse the mouth for several hours.

2. No forceful spitting or drinking through a straw for the remainder of the day.

3. Avoid carbonated beverages.

4. Keep fingers out of the mouth and away from the extraction site.

5. Some bleeding following a tooth extraction is to be expected. If unusual or prolonged bleeding occurs, have your child bite down firmly on a piece of gauze for 15 minutes. Call the office if bleeding does not subside.

6. Use children’s Tylenol or Motrin as recommended on the bottle according to age for discomfort.

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Sealant Instructions

In order to insure the life of the sealant, we ask that you have your child follow the instructions below:

1. Do not eat sticky foods or candy such as bubblegum, taffy, caramel, fruit roll-ups, etc. for the life of the sealant.

2. Do not chew ice cubes or hard candy such as jawbreakers. These habits will fracture the sealant and possibly healthy tooth structure.

3. It is very important to maintain good oral hygiene. The sealant will protect the biting surface of the tooth from decay, but you must brush and floss well in order to protect the remaining surfaces of the tooth from decay.

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