WHEN YOUR CHILD RECEIVES LOCAL ANESTHESIA

If your child has had local anesthetic for his/her dental procedure:

If the procedure was in the lower jaw: the teeth, lower lip and surrounding tissues will be numb.

If the procedure was in the upper jaw: the teeth, upper lip and surrounding tissues will be numb.

Often children do not understand the effects of the local anesthetic and may chew these areas and feel no immediate pain. These actions can cause minor irritations or may even be severe enough to cause swelling and abrasion to the tissues. Local anesthesia lasts approximately two hours. Watch your child closely to make sure he/she does not injure these areas. It is often wise to keep your child on a liquid or blended diet until the anesthetic wears off.

If your child bites his/her lip or cheek accidentally after a local anesthetic:  Keep the area clean, keep your child on a soft diet for a couple of days or until the inflammation goes down to prevent further trauma, and administer an over the counter analgesic for pain control.  If you are unable to control pain and/or bleeding contact Dr. Marie at her pager 736-4186 or Dr. Betsy at 254-5606.
[Back to Top]

IF YOUR CHILD HAD A TOOTH EXTRACTED

Your child most likely has had local anesthetic for the extraction(s):

If the procedure was in the lower jaw: the teeth, lower lip, tongue and surrounding tissue will be numb.

If the procedure was in the upper jaw: the teeth, upper lip and surrounding tissues will be numb.

Often children do not understand the effects of the local anesthetic and may chew these areas and feel no immediate pain. These actions can cause minor irritations or may even be sever enough to cause swelling and abrasion to the tissues. Local anesthesia lasts approximately two hours. Watch your child closely to make sure he/she does not injure these areas. It is often wise to keep your child on a liquid or blended diet until the anesthetic wears off.