Home Care and Instructions

Care of the Mouth after Trauma

Keep the traumatized area as clean as possible. A soft wash cloth often aids healing.
If swelling recurs, our office needs to see the patient as soon as possible. Ice should be administered during the first 24 hours to keep swelling to a minimum.
Watch for darkening of traumatized teeth, which can indicate a dying nerve (pulp).
Watch for infection (gum boils) in the area, and if noted, call our office so the patient can be seen as soon as possible.
Maintain a soft diet for two or three days, until the child feels comfortable eating normally again.
Avoid sweets and food that are extremely hot or cold.
If antibiotics or pain medicines are prescribed, follow the instructions carefully.
Please do not hesitate to call our office with any questions.

If the procedure was done in the lower jaw, the tongue, teeth, lip, and surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep. If it was done in the upper jaw, the lip and surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep.
Children often don't understand the effects of local anesthesia and might chew, scratch, suck, or play with the numb lip, tongue or cheek. These reactions can cause minor irritation or they can be severe enough to cause swelling and abrasions to the tissue.
Monitor your child closely for about two hours following the appointment, and keep your child on a liquid or soft diet until the anesthetic has worn off. Please do not hesitate to call our office with any questions.

Don't let the child chew, suck, or rub the lips, tongue or cheek while they feel numb or asleep, and watch closely to make sure the child does not injure these areas as the anesthesia wears off.
Don't rinse the mouth for several hours or let the child spit excessively.
Don't allow carbonated beverages (soft drinks like Coke or Sprite) for the rest of the day.
Don't let the child drink through a straw.
Keep fingers and tongue away from the extraction area.
Have the child avoid strenuous exercise or physical activity for several hours after the extraction.
Bleeding — Some bleeding is to be expected, but if unusual or sustained bleeding occurs, place cotton gauze or a tea bag firmly over the extraction area and bite down or hold in place for 15 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
Pain — For discomfort use Children's Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as directed for the age of the child. If a pain medicine was prescribed, follow the directions on the bottle.
Maintain a soft diet for a day or two, or until the child feels comfortable eating normally again.
If bleeding is controlled, we encourage your child to return to school.
Please do not hesitate to call our office with any questions.