General Guidelines for All Procedures:
At San Marcos Pediatric Dentistry, your oral health and well-being are our utmost priorities. To ensure the success of your treatment and maintain optimal oral hygiene, we have provided additional instructions following various types of treatment below. For further assistance or in the event of an emergency, do not hesitate to contact our team. In case of a serious or life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency room.
Instructions Following Preventive Visits
Following a Cleaning
Your child may experience some tenderness for a day or two after dental cleaning, depending on their oral hygiene. If this persists, please call the dental office. For discomfort, you may give your child Children’s Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as directed for their age and weight.
Following a Sealant Placement
After sealant placement, your child’s bite will be checked and adjusted as needed. Initially, your child may notice that the tooth feels a little different. Your child should avoid sticky, crunchy, candy, or hard foods and chewing ice.
Instructions Following Dental Visits
Instructions Following Anesthesia
Monitor your child closely for approximately two hours after the appointment. It is often wise to keep your child on a liquid or soft diet until the anesthetic has worn off. Remind your child to refrain from touching, biting, sucking, or playing with the numb area.
Instructions Following Restorative Treatment (Filling or Crown)
Ensure your child does not bite their cheeks, lips, or tongue to avoid injury to the soft tissue. Your child should avoid sticky, crunchy, or hard foods. If your child experiences sensitivity or discomfort, you may give them Children’s Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as directed for their age and weight.
Instructions Following Pulp Treatment (Pulpectomy, Pulpotomy, Baby Root Canal)
If your child experiences sensitivity after this treatment, you may give them Children’s Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as directed for their age and weight. If sensitivity or discomfort persists for more than 72 hours, please contact our office.
Instructions Following an Extraction
Instruct your child not to rinse, spit, or drink through a straw. Have them keep their fingers and tongue away from the area. If unusual or sustained bleeding occurs, place slightly moistened cotton gauze firmly over the extraction area, and bite down or hold in place for thirty minutes. Repeat every thirty minutes until the bleeding stops. Maintain a soft diet for a day or two or until the child feels comfortable eating normally again. Avoid strenuous exercise and physical activity for the rest of the day after the extraction. For discomfort, use Children’s Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin as directed for their age and weight. If sensitivity or discomfort continues for more than 72 hours, please contact our office.
Instructions Following Frenectomies
What to expect immediately following the procedure:
- For infants and toddlers, provide extra skin-to-skin and cuddle time, warm baths, or increased breast-time.Â
- Wait until the numbness from the local anesthetic is entirely gone before eating. Avoid using straws for the first 48 hours. If eating while numb or partially numb, start with cool, soft, spoon-fed foods to avoid causing excess swelling, bleeding, accidental burns, or cheek/lip/tongue biting.Â
- Until the wound heals, avoid foods that can cause discomfort such as hard/crunchy foods like chips and popcorn; acidic foods like citrus, vinegar, or tomato; and spicy foods.Â
- Begin brushing the teeth tonight as normal. You may resume most normal physical activity the next day. Wait 48 hours before swimming or engaging in more strenuous activity.Â
- Some discomfort and discoloration are normal following a frenectomy. Some bruising of the tongue is common. Tylenol or ibuprofen can be taken every 4-6 hours if needed to relieve any discomfort.Â
- Minimal swelling with discomfort may occur following surgery. Apply insulated ice to the outside of the lip if the surgery was a maxillary or mandibular labial frenectomy (upper or lower lip). For a lingual frenectomy (under tongue), try a popsicle or place ice chips under the tongue. Ice application is appropriate for the first 24 hours, then discontinue using ice. Rinse with warm salt water twice a day.
- Some bleeding or minor oozing following oral surgery is normal. Fold a piece of sterile gauze or a tea bag (black tea) and place it over the space where the surgery was performed. Hold with moderate pressure for 10-15 minutes. Repeat if necessary. If bleeding persists, call the office at (858) 277-8086.
Stretches
Manipulate the area of the frenectomy to minimize reattachment (if no sutures were placed). Follow specific instructions or exercises from your dentist and any other therapists consulted. Completing the recommended exercises reduces the chance of unfavorable healing. Always wash your hands before touching the surgical site. Gloves are not necessary for parents. If a maxillary or mandibular labial frenectomy (under your upper or lower lip) was performed, lift the lip every few hours to move and stretch it beginning the evening of treatment. Lingual frenectomies (under tongue) may or may not have had sutures (stitches) placed. Begin stretching as demonstrated and prescribed by your dentist and/or therapists beginning the evening of treatment. Remember, “3 x 3 x 3” = 3 stretches (roll, pull, slide),
Sutures
- If sutures were placed, wait 3-4 days before beginning your therapy regimen as prescribed by your dentist and any myofunctional/occupational/speech therapist(s).
- Do not attempt to manipulate the wound or remove sutures immediately. These will dissolve in 7-10 days and do not need to be removed individually. There is no need to replace individual sutures that fall out prematurely. If sutures fall out sooner than 3-4 days after the frenectomy, refer to the “no sutures” guidelines below.Â
Expect to see a white patchy area at the location of the frenectomy; this is a “wet scab” and is part of the healing process.
