Turn that Frown Upside Down with a Dental Crown!

· Numbness: The mouth will be numb approximately two to four hours. Watch to see that your child does not bite, scratch, or injure the cheek, lips, or tongue during this time.

· Bleeding: Slight bleeding around the crown today may occur. If the bleeding becomes constant and requires pressure to stop the bleeding, call our office.

· Daily Activities: Your child can resume normal activities upon tolerated today

· Diet: While your child is still numb, encourage a soft diet that does not require chewing in the area that is numb (e.g. yogurt, smoothies, soup). After the numbness wears off, your child can resume a normal diet as tolerated. However, we ask that your child avoids eating all sticky foods on the side of the crown (e.g. gum, sticky candy, caramels, fruit snacks, etc.).

· Oral Hygiene: Your child should resume normal brushing tonight. Bleeding around the crown during tooth brushing may be present for the next 5-7 days. Encourage and assist your child brushing the gums around the crown and the crown as well as flossing. If the gums around the crown are irritated, have your child rinse with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt with one cup of water) after eating.

· Pain Management: Some children may experience discomfort after the placement of a crown. You may give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Do NOT give aspirin to your child. Follow the instructions on the bottle for dosing based upon your child’s age/weight. Tylenol can be given every 4-6 hours and ibuprofen can be given every 6-8 hours.

· Watch for

o Swelling: slight swelling and inflammation around the crown may occur for the next two days. If swelling occurs after 48 hours, call our office, or if facial swelling is evident, call our office immediately.

o Pain: slight discomfort may occur for the next two days. If the pain becomes severe or lasts more than two days, call our office.