How to care for your child’s mouth after tooth extractions and minor oral surgery

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My child has had a tooth out. What should I do now?

Encourage your child to leave the wound alone and not to put their fingers or tongue in the area.

The area may still be numb so encourage them not bite their cheek or lip.

If your child has stitches do not let them touch them. Stitches usually dissolve on their own so there is no need to go back to hospital unless your dentist advises you to.

Will my child be in pain after having their teeth out or dental surgery?

It is likely that your child may be in some discomfort.  

It is important to give your child regular pain medicine. This can be sugar-free Ibuprofen or Paracetamol.  

To help keep your child’s pain under control give Paracetamol and Ibuprofen at different times. Always leave a space between doses and follow the instructions on the medicine boxes.

What can my child eat and drink?

To reduce the risk of further bleeding your child needs to have soft, cool, smooth, food and drink such as:

• soup
• eggs
• soft pasta or noodles (avoid grainy food such as rice)
• mashed potato
• soft bread rolls

When can my child brush their teeth?

Your child can brush their teeth as normal, avoiding the area(s) where the teeth have been taken out.

Can my child rinse out their mouth?

On the day of the treatment your child should not rinse their mouth as this may cause further bleeding.  

Twenty-four hours after the treatment, if possible, your child should rinse gently three times a day with salt water. They should do this for the next five days. This will encourage healing.  

Salt water can be made by dissolving a level teaspoon of table salt in a small cup of hot water. Allow this to cool before rinsing. Do not allow them to gargle or rinse vigorously.

Will my child’s face be swollen?

You may notice that your child has a swollen face.  

This is common and will disappear within a few days.  

You may find putting something cool (for example, frozen peas in a towel) on the swollen area for a few minutes at a time may bring the swelling down quicker.

What should I do if bleeding occurs?

Often children’s spit will be blood-stained for at least 24 hours after dental surgery.  This is quite normal.  

Encourage them to swallow rather than spit out.  

However, if there is visible, bright red blood coming from the mouth, place a wet gauze square or a wet clean cotton handkerchief directly in the area and get your child to bite down for 1 hour.  

Make sure your child is sitting upright and try to reassure them.

What should I do if the pain or bleeding does not stop?

It is possible that your child may have some swelling and discomfort for a day or so. 

But if you are worried because:

• the bleeding does not stop
• the pain gets worse
• the swelling does not go down after 3 days

Please contact: