3 Recovery Tips for Your Child’s Tooth Extraction

While it’s sad, kids sometimes need to have their teeth pulled. After all, youngsters can have infections and dental injuries like anyone else. However, the healing process can be extra challenging for them. Since they’re not adults, they aren’t as skilled at caring for themselves. Therefore, it’s up to parents to ensure their little ones have a speedy and pain-free recovery. Fortunately, though, your Rocky Hill dentist is here to offer some advice. Read on to learn three ways to support your kid after a children’s tooth extraction.

Help Them Wait Out the Anesthesia

As with a fully-grown patient, a dentist uses anesthesia when performing a child’s tooth extraction. Your young one, then, will have a numb mouth after treatment.

How long a child’s numbness lasts will depend on the amount and kind of anesthesia given. Since that’s the case, you’ll need to help your tyke endure the effects. For instance, you don’t want them biting their tongue or cheek. Furthermore, they should only have drinks and liquid foods until the numb feeling fades.

You should expect the numbness to wear off within a few hours. If it doesn’t, contact your pediatric dentist.

Stop Any Bleeding

Before the visit’s end, the dentist will place a gauze pack on your child’s tooth extraction site. By doing so, they aim to control and blot any excess bleeding.

Once you’ve exited the dental office, leave this gauze in place for forty-five minutes. That’ll give the pack time to absorb lingering blood. If bleeding occurs when it’s removed, follow these steps:

• Fold a new, clean piece of gauze into a thick pad, dampen it with warm water, and place it on the tooth extraction site.
• Have your child close their teeth over the pad and bite down with gentle pressure for thirty minutes. Replace the pad with a clean one as needed.
• If bleeding continues after 30 minutes, call the pediatric dental care office.

Keep Their Blood Clot Safe

Once a kid’s tooth is extracted, a protective blood clot forms over its socket to promote healing. However, this clot will take time to develop and can be easily dislodged. As such, have your child avoid risky activities like drinking through a straw, vigorous mouth rinses, or physical roughhousing. That way, their mouth will be safe enough to form and maintain the clot.

It’s essential to practice safety and caution after a children’s tooth extraction. That said, rely on the tips above so your child’s smile can recover quickly and easily!

About the Practice

Dental Essentials is based in Rocky Hill, CT. As led by Drs. Matthew Scoles, Marc Scoles, and Julia Karpman, the practice will give you the gorgeous smile you deserve. To do so, its staff offers a range of preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatments, including emergency procedures. Best of all, they treat patients of all ages — from little tykes to seniors! For more information or to book an appointment, you can reach them on their website or by phone at (860)-563-3766.