Procedure Instructions

Procedure Instructions for Your Little One's Smile

At Bartlett Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, we understand how important it is to keep your child's smile bright and healthy. Serving Memphis and surrounding areas, our board-certified pediatric dentists are here to provide exceptional care. Whether it's before your appointment, after sedation, or post-op instructions for extractions, we've got you covered. Need a space maintainer or handling composites (white fillings)? No problem. We also offer on-call services. Our team is IV sedation-certified and hospital-certified for in-hospital visits. Want to know more? Reach out to us today!

Prior to Your Appointment

Please notify us of any change in your child’s health and/or medical condition. Do not bring your child for treatment with a fever, ear infection, or cold. Should your child become ill, contact us to see if it is necessary to postpone the appointment.

• You must tell the doctor about any drugs that your child is currently taking and any drug reactions and/or changes in medical history
• Please dress your child in loose-fitting, comfortable clothing
• Please make sure that your child goes to the bathroom immediately prior to arriving at the office
• Your child should not have solid food for at least six hours prior to their sedation appointment and only clear liquids for up to four hours before the appointment
• The child’s parent or legal guardian must remain at the office during the complete procedure
• Please watch your child closely while the medication is taking effect. Hold them in your lap or keep them close to you. Do not let them “run around”
• Your child will act drowsy and may become slightly excited at first

After the Sedation Appointment

Your child will be drowsy and will need to be monitored very closely. Keep your child away from areas of potential harm. If your child wants to sleep, place them on their side with their chin up. Wake your child every hour and encourage them to have something to drink in order to prevent dehydration. At first, it is best to give your child sips of clear liquids to prevent nausea.

The first meal should be light and easily digestible. If your child vomits, help them bend over and turn their head to the side to ensure that they do not inhale the vomit.

Because we use local anesthetic to numb your child’s mouth during the procedure, your child may have the tendency to bite or chew their lips, cheeks, and/or tongue and/or rub and scratch their face after treatment. Please observe your child carefully to prevent any injury to these areas.

Please call our office for any questions or concerns that you might have (outpatient general anesthesia).

Dental Treatment Under General Anesthesia (in a Surgery Center)

General anesthesia is a controlled state of unconsciousness that eliminates awareness, movement, and discomfort during dental treatment All treatment is completed in a hospital operating room suite under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. We treat our patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center downtown and at Le Bonheur East Surgery Center in East Memphis.

General anesthesia may be indicated for children with extensive dental needs who are extremely uncooperative, fearful, or anxious or for the very young who do not understand how to cope in a cooperative fashion. General anesthesia can also be helpful for children requiring significant surgical procedures or patients with special health care needs.

Although there is some risk associated with general anesthesia, it can be used safely and effectively when administered by an appropriately trained individual in an appropriately equipped facility. Precautions are taken to protect your child during general anesthesia; personnel who are trained to manage complications will monitor your child closely. Dr. Jessica will discuss the benefits and risks of general anesthesia and why it is recommended for your child.

A physical evaluation is required prior to general anesthesia for dental care. This physical assessment provides information to ensure the safety of your child during the general anesthesia procedure. Our office will advise you about evaluation appointments that are required.

Post-Op Instructions for Extractions

After an extraction, the main concern is to stop the bleeding from the extraction site. The most effective technique is to have the child bite tightly on a piece of gauze for 15 to 30 minutes. If your child is too young or unable to do this, hold the gauze tightly over the site with your clean finger for the same length of time. Even after long pressure the extraction site may bleed slightly for several hours or even stop and then start again. The blood will mix with saliva and look much worse than it really is. Further pressure will usually solve the problem.

Normally only slight discomfort will be experienced after an extraction unless the child bites his/her tongue or cheek while numb. If some pain is present, we suggest Tylenol in the appropriate dosage for the weight of your child.

Your child may drink as soon as the bleeding stops. It is best to avoid eating until the numbness wears off (usually one to one and a half hours). It is very important to WATCH YOUR CHILD while he/she is numb so they do not accidentally bite their lip and or tongue. Crunchy foods (peanuts, pretzels, potato chips) should be avoided the first day or two. A soft diet of pudding, soup, noodles, or yogurt is appropriate. Rinsing, spitting, or drinking through a straw is not advisable on the first day.

If you have questions, please ask one of the clinical staff.

Oral Hygiene of Composites (White Fillings)

It has been recommended that your child have a composite filling placed. Composite is a white, or tooth colored filling. Composites rely on EXCELLENT oral hygiene (cleanliness of the teeth) for longevity, durability, and esthetics (looks) Plaque build up on these teeth will reduce the success rate of your child’s fillings(s). It will also contribute to secondary decay, risking the survival rate of the tooth by new decay growing closer or into the pulp or nerve of the tooth.

Children under the age of six require an adult or parent’s help in proper brushing and flossing habits at home. This will help ensure the appearance of your child’s filling(s) and also help to keep the composite intact.

Good eating habits will also contribute to the success of the anterior composite. Biting into chewy, sticky, or hard foods should be avoided at all times. These foods can chip or cause total loss of the filling(s).

Our office policy is to replace a filing that we have previously placed (within one year) if it breaks or fails due to a possible flaw in the material. There will be a charge for a re-placement if your child’s oral hygiene is poor and/or the gingival tissues are not healthy.

Your child’s dental health is our number one goal at Bartlett Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. Please follow these recommendations for your child. A happy, healthy smile encourages your child’s confidence.

Post-Op Trauma Sheet

Please keep the traumatized area as clean as possible. A soft wash cloth often works well during healing to aid the process.

Watch for the darkening of traumatized teeth. This could be an indication of a dying nerve (pulp).

If the swelling should re-occur, our office needs to see the patient as-soon-as possible. Ice should be administered during the first 24 hours to keep the swelling to a minimum.

Watch for infection (gum boils) in the area of trauma. If infection is noticed – call the office so the patient can be seen as-soon-as possible.

Maintain a soft diet for two weeks, or until the child feels comfortable eating normally again. Avoid sweets or foods that are extremely hot or cold.

If antibiotics or pain medicines are prescribed, be sure to follow the prescription as directed. Please do not hesitate to call the office if you have any questions.

Post-Op Instructions for Space Maintainer

The space maintainer that your child has had placed today is cemented onto the tooth with dental cement that contains fluoride. This cement takes about 12 hours to achieve its final set. A soft diet for the rest of the day is suggested.

Space maintainers may come off if your child eats sticky candies, chewing gum, lollipops, etc. Please avoid these as long as your child has any space maintainers on his/her teeth. It is not unusual for the gum tissue around the space maintainer to be red, and or irritated for several days. Salt-water rinses can be used. Baby anbesol can be applied around the gum line also.

Brush the area gently today, thereafter you may resume normal brushing and flossing. Should a space maintainer become loose, please remove it and contact the office. This is not an emergency.

Post-Op Instructions for Stainless Steel Crowns

The crown that your child has had placed today is cemented onto the tooth with dental cement that contains fluoride. This cement takes about 12 hours to achieve its final set. A soft diet for the rest of the day is suggested.

Crowns may come off if your child eats sticky candies, chewing gum, lollipops, etc. Please avoid these as long as your child has any crowns on his/her teeth. It is not unusual for the gum tissue around the crown to be red, and or irritated for several days. Salt-water rinses can be used. Baby anbesol can be applied around the gum line also.

Brush the area gently today; thereafter you may resume normal brushing and flossing. If the crown is on a baby tooth, it will fall out with the tooth when the permanent tooth is ready to erupt.

Should a crown become loose, please remove it and contact the office. This is not an emergency as the tooth under the crown is repaired and should not cause any discomfort to the child.