When Can A Child Return To School After Tooth Extraction?

If your kid needs a tooth extraction, you may be concerned about what to expect. When they do the extraction procedure hurt? What should the kid eat afterward, and when can they return to school or play?

Childhood tooth extractions aren’t as invasive as adult procedures, and most children tolerate them well. But it’s normal for you and your kid to have questions and concerns.

Why Would my Kid Need a Tooth Extraction?

You may be anxious about your kid’s tooth being removed. However, if you follow the instructions given by a pediatric dentist in Bloomfield, CT, your kid should heal quickly and have no lasting problems. Your dentist might recommend removing a tooth to:

Prevent overcrowding: When one or more baby teeth are removed, it helps make space for the permanent teeth to grow properly.

Treats an injury or tooth decay: A pediatric dentist may remove a damaged tool to prevent it from causing issues with their permanent teeth later.

Fix an impacted tooth: Some kids have impacted teeth that don’t erupt properly. Dentists might remove these teeth to avoid issues as the other teeth come in.

What to Expect from Your Kid’s Tooth Extraction

Our dentist at Bloomfield Pediatric Dentistry often uses nitrous oxide gas to help calm the kid before giving a local anesthetic injection. Nitrous oxide is also called laughing gas since it has a calming effect that often makes patients feel happy or silly.

Once your kid is relaxed, your dentist will remove the tooth. Using an exactor or an elevator, the dentist gently rocks the tooth back and forth to help loosen it from its socket. Your kid may feel some pressure, but they won’t experience pain.

Once the tooth is loosened, an instrument called forceps is used to remove the tooth. The dentist will then pack goes into the empty sockets and have your kid bite down on it to help stop any bleeding.

Sometimes extracting baby teeth proves more difficult than expected and might require an incision in the gum tissue. If this happens, stitches will be needed to help close the site. However, in most instances, healing takes place naturally without any stitches.

Your kid may be prescribed antibiotics. Your dentist also discusses ways to manage the pain after the procedure, including taking over-the-counter medication and cold compresses.

Aftercare Following Their Tooth Extraction

The sites from which the tooth was extracted may be so for two to three days after the procedure. If this happens, give your kid over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to manage their discomfort.

After getting a pediatric tooth extraction near me, the dentist might recommend that your kid raise their mouth with warm salt water several times a day during the first week after the procedure. This helps prevent infection and keeps the site clean during healing.

Also, the dentist will recommend prepping your kid’s head up on a pillow, having them hold an ice pack against their cheek, and offering pain medication as needed once they arrive home.

Your kid should also stick to soft foods such as yogurt soup, applesauce, and smoothies for a couple of days following the procedure. They should also wait until the numbness we are off before eating anything. Your child avoids drinking anything through a straw because this can cause a painful complication called a dry socket.

When Can My Kid Return to School After Dental Extraction?

After having a pediatric tooth extraction in Bloomfield, CT, dentists don’t recommend kids returning to school right after this surgery. Instead, your kid should go straight home and get some rest.

However, activities that don’t require a lot of physical activity, like watching movies or reading our ideal, since too much activity causes complications in the healing process. When your kid returns to work, school or extracurriculars depends on them and their specific dental treatment plan. Still, our pediatric dentists usually tell their patients to expect two to three days off from their everyday activities.

Are Tooth Extractions for Kids Painful?

Your kid will experience some pressure during the tooth extraction due to the pulling sensation they will feel. However, the kid should experience little to no pain or discomfort.

Our team will be happy to provide you with more insight at your kid’s next appointment with us.