Children often tell parents that their teeth feel rough or sticky after fluoride varnish application. This is totally normal. Your child is feeling the varnish that is sticking to the tooth helping to fight cavities. Try not to eat or drink for 30 minutes after fluoride application. The rough feeling will go away once the varnish dissolves.
Our office typically uses a numbing medicine that lasts for two or three hours. Try not to let your child chew on the numb area of their mouth. It is important to reassure your child that the numb feeling will go away in time. As the medicine wears off, your child may feel a tingling sensation similar to how it feels when your foot “falls asleep.”
Try drinking a glass of orange juice. This can reduce the time your child feels numb.
Your child’s white filling or crown is strong enough to eat with right away so you should not be concerned about breaking the filling. We do recommend waiting for the numb feeling to wear off before eating to avoid accidental lip bites.
Baby tooth extractions rarely cause very much discomfort after the procedure. It is a good idea to avoid some foods so the socket stays clean.
Foods to avoid:
Spicy foods (can irritate the mouth and gums)
Crunchy foods (can get stuck in the healing socket)
Berries with small seeds (can get stuck in the healing socket)
Foods to eat:
Smoothies
Ice cream
Yogurt
Scrambled eggs
Mashed potatoes
Baby tooth extractions are very rarely painful, even after the numbing medicine wears off. We do not typically recommend taking any pain medicine after the procedure. If you are concerned that your child may be uncomfortable, you can give an over-the-counter pain reliever to be safe.
