- Patient should have NOTHING to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery, not even water. Brushing teeth is fine, but DO NOT swallow any water after brushing.
- Take oral pre-medication (if given) 30 minutes before surgery appointment, with only a small amount of water. If swallowing pills is a problem, pills may be cut and crushed between 2 spoons and put in a teaspoon of Children’s Liquid Tylenol or Advil. ATTENTION: NO OTHER FOOD OR DRINK PRODUCTS OF ANY KIND MAY BE USED TO TAKE THE PRE-MED.
- Please be aware the pre-med could make your child feel dizzy and/or unstable.
- Please have your child wear pants or shorts with an elastic waistband.
- Please do not bring other children with you. Your child will need your undivided attention.
- You can expect to be in our office up to 1 hour, as we like to let the children awaken slowly and undisturbed. We find the children have less nausea and/or dizziness upon waking when we let them sleep it off.
- You may want to have children’s Tylenol or Advil at home in advance of surgery. You can expect your child to be sleepy for several hours after arriving home, it is fine for them to take a supervised nap.
PEDIATRIC POSTOPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
- BLEEDING AND GAUZE: The gauze pack in your child’s mouth should be changed every 20-30 minutes. When changing the gauze be sure to slightly dampen new gauze with water. Place new gauze directly over surgical area and have your child bite down firmly on gauze. Gauze should be removed when child is eating or drinking. DO NOT LEAVE IN WHILE SLEEPING. Once bleeding subsides to a light pink gauze can be discontinued. Slight oozing should be expected for up to 24 hours. If you are concerned about excessive bleeding, please call the office.
- CARE OF MOUTH: Do not allow child to rinse, spit, brush teeth, or drink through a straw for the first 24 hours. Blood clots are forming where the teeth were removed and any of these actions could cause them to dislodge. After 24 hours child may brush his or her teeth avoiding extractions sites.
- PAIN: If instructed or your child is experiencing some discomfort you may give them Children’s Motrin or Children’s Tylenol. Be sure to check on the bottle for appropriate dosage instructions for your child’s weight.
- DIET: A soft diet should be maintained for the first few days (i.e. yogurt, pudding, jello, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese). Nothing crunchy or chewy that could irritate the extraction site. It is also important to keep your child well hydrated.
- NAUSEA: To avoid nausea keep your child on the cooler side (i.e. no heavy blankets). If nausea does occur it can usually be controlled by taking small sips of Coke, 7-Up or Ginger Ale. Before sipping remove the carbonation (bubbles) by stirring.
If you have any questions regarding these instructions, please call the office at 707-422-6020