Having your kid’s tooth extracted can be scary for both the child and the parents, especially if it is the first time. Your family will experience this scenario at least once in your lives, but not all know the right way to deal with it. If you are the parent of a child about to have a tooth extracted, this article will tell you what you need to know about the experience and what you can do to help your child heal.
How Long Will They Feel the Numbness?
The anesthesia will cause numbness during and after your child’s tooth extraction. This numbness might cause them to bite their tongue and cheek just to feel something. However, do not let them do this.
While waiting for the numbness to fade, you can give your child liquid food or drinks to keep their stomach full and their mouth busy. Make sure not to use straws as they can encourage blood clots that will lengthen the healing process. You can expect the numbness to subside after a few hours.
How to Manage the Bleeding
Tooth extraction always results in bleeding, and it might take a while to stop. Before you leave the clinic, the dentist will place a gauze pack on the extraction zone to control the bleeding. Your child should keep it for at least 45 minutes to manage the bleeding and help the wound heal.
Once you remove the gauze, expect a little more bleeding. Here is how you can take care of it:
- Get a clean gauze and fold it into a thick pad.
- Dampen it with warm water.
- Similar to what the doctor did, place it above the extracted tooth’s location.
- Ask your kid to gently bite the pad with little pressure for at least 30 minutes.
- Replace it if needed.
- If the bleeding persists after 30 minutes, call your family dentist and raise your concern.
What They Should Not Do
Aside from not using straws, there are other things that your kids should do for faster healing:
- Do not let your kid rinse their mouth vigorously.
- Do not allow your child to perform physical activities.
What You Should Do
- Apply a cold compress to your child’s face for at least 20 minutes. Repeat whenever your child feels any swelling or pain.
- Since your child cannot normally eat for the next few days, make sure to serve them soft food or plenty of liquids at meals.
- Once they can start eating solid foods, let them chew on the opposite side of the extracted tooth.
- Help your child brush and floss their teeth the same way as before, but make sure to keep it gentle.
- Let your child gargle saltwater for faster healing.
- Call your dentist when the pain becomes severe, or the bleeding does not stop.
Conclusion
Kids are too young to take care of themselves, so parents must know what to do after a kid’s tooth extraction. By understanding the procedure and doing what you can to promote healing, you can help your child recover from this procedure with no problems. Make sure to listen to your dentist and follow their instructions.
If your child does not have a dentist yet or you have more questions about extraction aftercare, come and visit our clinic. Shallowford Family Dental is a family dentist in Chattanooga, rated number one in general and cosmetic dentistry. We are committed to providing you and your loved ones with the highest quality dental care in a relaxed and comfortable environment.