After Your Child's Dental Treatment: Care at Home

After Local Anaesthesia (Numbness)

If your child received a local anaesthetic injection for a filling or extraction, the numbness will last 1–3 hours. This requires careful supervision.

• •Watch your child closely — numbness can cause them to accidentally bite or chew their lip, cheek, or tongue without feeling pain.
• •Do not give food or hot drinks until the numbness has fully worn off.
• •Reassure your child that the strange feeling is temporary and will go away.
• •Cool water or ice chips can be given in small sips if your child is thirsty.
• •Some children become restless or upset from the sensation — remain calm and reassuring.

After a Filling

• •Avoid eating on the filled side for 1–2 hours after a white composite filling.
• •Mild sensitivity to hot, cold, or pressure is normal for a few days.
• •Do not give hard or sticky snacks (toffee, hard candy, chewing gum) for at least 24 hours.
• •If your child complains that their bite feels high, contact us — a quick adjustment is all that is needed.
• •Continue brushing and flossing gently around the filled tooth from that evening.

After Fluoride Treatment or Sealants

• •Do not let your child eat or drink for 30 minutes after fluoride varnish application to allow it to absorb properly.
• •Avoid hard, crunchy, or sticky foods for the rest of the day after sealant placement.
• •Normal brushing and flossing can resume the following morning.
• •Sealants are not visible and do not feel different — reassure your child that their tooth is just protected.
• •Fluoride varnish may give teeth a slightly yellowish tinge for 24 hours — this is normal and washes off.

After a Baby Tooth Extraction

• •Bite on the gauze pad for 20–30 minutes until the bleeding stops.
• •No spitting, rinsing, or straws for 24 hours to protect the blood clot.
• •Give soft foods — curd rice, mashed banana, dal, idli — for the rest of the day.
• •Mild pain is normal; give children's paracetamol in the correct dose if needed.
• •Salt water rinses (very gentle) can begin 24 hours after extraction.
• •The permanent tooth will grow in naturally — the gap is expected and normal.

Helping Your Child at Home

• •Praise and encourage your child after their appointment — positive reinforcement builds good dental habits.
• •Let them choose their own toothbrush to increase engagement with brushing.
• •Supervise brushing until age 7–8; children lack the motor skills to brush effectively on their own.
• •Limit sugary snacks and drinks between meals — this is the single biggest factor in cavity prevention.
• •Book their next routine appointment in 6 months to keep on top of their dental development.

When to Contact Us

• •Swelling of the face or gum that develops or worsens after 24 hours.
• •Fever above 38°C (100.4°F) after a dental procedure.
• •Bleeding that doesn't stop after 1–2 hours of gentle gauze pressure.
• •A filling falls out or your child complains of sharp pain on a treated tooth.
• •Signs of a knocked-out or cracked permanent tooth — contact us immediately.