AT THE RECOVERY ROOM

DISORIENTATION AND ANXIETY
Most children will feel disoriented when they wake up from a general anaesthetic (GA). About 12-13% of children may develop a more severe dissociated state of consciousness. A child may be very irritable, uncooperative, inconsolable, and not able to recognize familiar people or objects. This condition is usually self-limiting and can last for 15 minutes or longer. It is usually quite distressing for parents to witness these unusual behaviours. If necessary, the anaesthetist may prescribe some medication to help calm your child.

VOMITING
It is very common for children to vomit at the time of recovery due to swallowed blood or the effect of anaesthetic. If there is excessive vomiting, some medication will be given to your child.

REMOVAL OF IV CANNULA
This can cause some distress to your child, please support your child with lots of tender loving care.

dental chair treatment

If concerned, please call
KIDDIES DENTAL CARE
on 9372 8960
(during business hours)
or contact the
After Hours / 24 hour Service Team
on 03 7066 5406

FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS

For a few hours after the surgery the local anaesthetic will still be working. Once you are home and your child has kept a bit of food down, they can have some pain relief before the numbness wears off. Panadol works very well with dental post-operative pain.

Once you get home, your child should gradually take fluids to make sure their stomach is settled before taking medication and more substantial food. If they have had teeth taken out, avoid any dairy products for the first 24 hours. (If they swallowed some blood, the blood and dairy products don’t mix well in the stomach). Stewed apples are good to have initially as they have a nice fresh taste. Smoothies made with fruit juice and various fruits are tasty as well as more filling than plain fluids. Avoid foods and beverages that are too hot or cold. Make sure they have a good drink of water after eating to keep their mouth clean.

If your child has had teeth taken out, the site(s) may ooze blood for the rest of the day. This is normal. You may be given packs to take home in case the bleeding increases. Bleeding will cease with pressure from a gauze pack gently bitten on for 10-20 minutes. Blood-stained saliva is common for 24-48 hours and is not a cause for concern. If at all concerned, do not hesitate to contact us on 9372 8960

Your child’s lips/cheeks may feel numb for 3 to 4 hours after the procedure, therefore there is an increased risk of biting or burning the soft tissues. Please monitor your child to avoid accidental lip/cheek bites and do not consume food/drinks that are too hot. . Ensure fingers are kept out of the mouth to allow the extraction sites to heal and reduce the risk of infection.

With the placement of multiple sealants/fillings/crowns or the extraction of teeth, your child’s bite will not feel the same.. Most children will adjust to the new bite within 1-2 weeks. Children who are very sensitive to changes may feel quite disturbed, they may refuse eating or want to avoid biting their teeth together. If this happens, provide patience and reassurance that things will be ok and will start to feel normal again soon. Slowly introduce foods that are soft, and easy to swallow, or items that they like to eat, and prioritise adequate  fluid intake.

Some children will not be able to keep any solids down for the first 8 to 24 hours. If this is the case, keeping fluid down is most important. If you are concerned about excessive vomiting in your child, please do not hesitate to contact us or the anaesthetist.

In light of recent scientific research, antibiotics are no longer prescribed for routine extractions. 1-3% of extraction sockets will become infected and these are usually easily treated with antibiotics. Signs of infection include increasing pain and swelling around day 3-5 following the extraction. Please telephone the surgery on 9372 8960 during business hours if concerned or the dentist on pager service: 03 7066 5406

If any, these will dissolve in 1-2 weeks.

Resume normal toothbrushing as early as possible, this will not damage the healing sockets. Mouth rinsing on the following day with warm salt water is recommended to keep the healing sockets free from food debris and bacteria.

FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS

If you have any concerns about your child’s dental treatment and would like to see our dentist, please do not hesitate to contact our office for assistance.

Tel: 9372 8960 This is a fee-free service valid for 6 weeks after treatment today.

LONGEVITY OF DENTAL TREATMENT

Over time, sealants/fillings will wear down and will require repair or replacement. The risk of this varies from child to child and may be impacted by factors such as their oral health, dietary factors, and oral habits (such as tooth grinding). The lifespan of sealants and white fillings is around 1-3 years, sometimes less. Fillings and sealants may stain and wear down or completely dislodge and require replacement. Crowns can dislodge, especially if chewing on sticky foods. If this occurs please call to make an appointment, keep the crown in a snap-lock bag and bring it with you to the appointment.

Nerve treatments are a great option for preserving the teeth, however, the success rate is around 70%. If the tooth develops symptoms in the future, extraction will be required.

Infection (in the future) is not uncommon for teeth that had holes which were deep initially prior to placement of fillings/crowns/pulpotomy. If infection occurs, the tooth/teeth will require extraction. This may involve a future general anaesthetic or additional visits to our clinic with fees for the treatment.

FOR PATIENTS THAT REQUIRE A SPACE MAINTAINER

An impression was taken at the time of your child’s general anaesthetic, which will be sent to the dental laboratory to fabricate the space maintainer. You will need to return to the clinic in around 2 weeks time to have the space maintainer inserted. In some cases, the teeth have moved and it may not fit – if this occurs we will take a new impression on the day. The space maintainer will need to be inserted in the dental chair, which requires good cooperation and acceptance from the patient. If we are unable to insert the space maintainer due to patient’s resistance, we cannot offer a refund.

PREVENTATIVE CARE

Please organise a preventive care visit in 3 months’ time at Kiddies Dental Care or your regular dentist. Fees will be applied for all preventive care visits.

At Kiddies Dental Care, we believe prevention is always better than cure! Our Preventive Care Team consists of dedicated Oral Health Therapists who are specialised in preventive dental care. During the preventive care visits, a thorough dental examination will be conducted and diagnostic information like x-rays and photos may be taken.

Preventive treatment such as cleaning, fluoride treatment, and fissure sealants may be undertaken when indicated, following discussion with you. We recommend preventive care visits every 6 months, however, our team will advise the most appropriate time between visits for your child according to their needs.



Please refer to our information sheet attached for brushing and flossing instructions. Diligent home dental care and regular check-ups will help to prevent future dental issues.

How to encourage good oral health with your children

When should I start flossing my child’s teeth?

Brushing – Support your child to learn to brush

With the availability of x-rays during the GA dental treatment, the status of your child’s teeth was confirmed. The most appropriate treatment was carried out for each tooth according to today’s status. Therefore there may be changes to the original treatment plan, any changes/ additional treatment will incur extra cost by the dentist. The Hospital and Anaesthetist may also charge more fees if additional times were utilised to complete the changed / additional treatment.

PAYMENT AND RECEIPT

Thank you for your prepayment of the treatment plan. Any outstanding balance of the changed/ additional treatment performed today will be advised on the next business day when Kiddies Dental Care team completes our review call and payment of this amount is required at this time. 

When the funds for dental treatment are received IN FULL, a receipt will be emailed to you. The hospital and anaesthetist will give you receipts separate to our receipt.

PROBLEMS

If you are concerned please contact us on 9372 8960  or the dentist’s pager service 03 7066 5406  (emergency only). Regards from,  Kiddies Dental Care Team