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I just got my braces off. Now what?

Local Anesthetic

Local anesthetic, or sleepy juice as we call it, will cause the mouth to be “numb” for approximately 2 – 4 hours.

Watch your child closely to make sure they do not bite, suck, scratch or injure their cheek, lips, or tongue

They may get upset when they realize their mouth feels “different”….Do not be alarmed…let them know the “funny feeling” will go away in a couple hours

Ice cream and popsicles may help to sooth your child until the numbness goes away

Stainless Steel Crown

Your child’s tooth has been covered with a stainless steel crown which has been shaped to fit the tooth and keep it strong

The gum tissue surrounding the tooth may appear to be bleeding or may be purple or gray in color. This is normal and will subside over time

Before the numbness wears off, you can give your child Advil or Tylenol to help with any discomfort she or he may have

White Filling

After placement of a dental filling, teeth may often be sensitive to hot, cold, and pressure for a brief period of time…It may take several weeks to feel “normal” again

Please do not give sticky or chewy food for the rest of the day

Since part of your child’s tooth now has a dental filling it may be more prone to fracture… encourage your child to avoid chewing ice and hard candy to keep the filling intact

Tooth Extraction

Your child should continue to bite on a gauze to control normal bleeding from the site of the extraction for approximately 20 – 30 minutes

No drinking out of a straw for the rest of the day to prevent removal of the natural blood clot that forms where the tooth was

Cold foods are better such as ice cream or a milkshake…please make sure to take the lid off so your child does not use the straw

We recommend a soft diet for 24 hours such as jello, mash potatoes, macaroni and cheese etc… just nothing hot….warm is ok

It is not uncommon to see some bleeding on your child’s pillow tonight…when mixed with saliva it may appear to be a lot….This Is normal

We recommend Children’s Advil or Tylenol to alleviate any discomfort your child may have following the extraction

Sealants

A sealant is a protective coating placed over the grooves of a tooth to prevent food and plaque accumulation where the toothbrush can’t reach

In general, your child should avoid sticky candy such as caramels, laffy taffy, starburst etc… to prevent damage or accidental removal of sealant

Space Maintainer

The purpose of your child’s space maintainer is to maintain or prevent loss of any space so that the permanent teeth can erupt freely

A metal band has been placed around one or more of your child’s teeth to hold the space maintainer with special Fluoride cement

Please help your child to avoid sticky, chewy foods and candy as this could cause the bands surrounding the teeth to loosen

We recommend waiting 1 hour to eat after placement