Phone: 910-778-8485 fax: 910-436-8485

2980 Ray Road Spring Lake NC 28390 Near Overhills Schools

Vincent Vissichelli, DMD

Board Certified Pediatric Dentist

Specializing in the treatment of infants, children, teens and special needs patients.

Patient Forms

Care of the Mouth after being numb at the dental office

Your child has had local anesthetic for his/her dental procedure:

*  If the procedure was in the lower jaw the tongue, teeth, lip and surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep.

*  If the procedure was in the upper jaw the teeth, lip and surrounding tissue will be numb or asleep.

Often, children do not understand the effects of local anesthesia and may chew, scratch, suck or play with the numb lip, tongue, or cheek.  These actions can cause minor irritations or they can be severe enough to cause swelling and abrasions to the tissue.  Please monitor your child closely for about 2-3 hours following the appointment.  It is wise to keep your child on a liquid or soft diet until the anesthetic has worn off.

Care of Sealants

Your child should refrain from eating ice or hard candy.  This tends to fracture the sealant.  Normal retention of a sealant is up to 4 years.  Our policy is to touch up and replace all sealants that we have placed free of charge.  At your child’s recall appointment we will check to see that the sealants we have placed are still intact and if they need to be replaced.    Prevention is the key to having good dental health.

Sealants and prevention

The American Dental Association recognizes that sealants can play and important role in the prevention of tooth decay.  When properly applied and maintained, they can successfully protect the chewing surfaces of your child’s teeth.  A total prevention program includes regular visits to the dentist, the use of fluoride, daily brushing and flossing, and limiting the number of times sugar-rich and sticky foods are eaten.  If these measures are followed and sealants are used on the teeth, the risk of decay can be reduced or may even be eliminated!

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