Post Restoration (Filling) Care with Local Anesthesia

Your child had a dental restoration (white filling) done today. 

Numbing: Your child received numbing medicine and their lip/cheek/tongue may be numb for 1-2 hours after the procedure. Please be very careful to remind your child not to bite or chew on their lip/cheek/tongue which could cause a significant injury that takes 1-2 weeks to heal. If your child does bite and injure this area, please call the office. It sometimes helps to tell kids their lip/cheek/tongue will feel back to normal in the time it takes to watch a movie. 

Brushing: Start with gentle but thorough brushing and flossing of all teeth the same day as your child’s procedure. Sometimes their is some soreness in this area depending on the size of the filling. If brushing is sensitive, we recommend running their toothbrush under warm water to make the bristles softer and then gently massaging the gums with the toothbrush with more gentle pressure.

Diet: Your child may eat and drink as normal after the numbing feeling wears off. White fillings are as strong as they’re going to get after your appointment, but they aren’t as strong as the natural teeth were before the cavity started. Hard and sticky foods like lollipops, jolly ranchers, or caramels will shorten the lifespan of the filling and may cause the filling to break. 

Medicine: Some children have mild discomfort of the gums after a filling. If the cavity was very big, mild discomfort of the tooth may occur. Over-the-counter tylenol or ibuprofen is recommended for 1-3 days as needed for discomfort, as long as your child can usually tolerate this medication. If discomfort lasts more than 3 days after a filling, or if over-the-counter medicine does not help, please call the office. If your child cannot take Ibuprofen or Tylenol, please reach out to us directly or consult your pediatrician.

Activity: Your child can return to normal activities after their procedure. If they received any nitrous oxide (laughing gas), we had them breathe 100% oxygen for 5 minutes at the end of the appointment. This ensures there should be no effects of the nitrous oxide after their visit. 

If you have any concerns, please call us at 720-678-9401