How to Take Care of Baby Teeth Extractions

While the surgical extraction of permanent or wisdom teeth is a common procedure in adults, there can be a need for the surgical extraction of deciduous (baby) teeth during childhood. The most common reason dentists and dental surgeons remove baby teeth is because there is not enough room for the tooth or to make room for permanent teeth that are coming in. After the extraction, the proper care, including cleaning and diet, are necessary to recover fully and prevent infection in the socket.

Things You'll Need

• Gauze
• Ice pack
• Soup broth
• Soft foods
• Pain medication

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Instructions

• 1

  Request that your child be absent from school immediately following the tooth extraction. While this is not always possible, if he can take time to simply rest at home and follow a regiment of care, the tooth extraction will likely heal faster and will be less prone to infection. If he can't stay at home for a few days, try to prevent him from physical exertion, such as playing and exercise, for a few days. This is especially important for younger children.

• 2

  Place your child in an area where his head can be propped up, either in a chair or in bed with several pillows. You want to keep his head upright following the surgery, as it will help the blood to clot and the socket to begin healing.

• 3

  Ask your child to softly bite on a piece of surgical cotton or gauze immediately after the surgery. You want to him to do this to control the amount of blood and encourage clotting. Don't encourage him to bite hard or frequently, but if he tastes blood in the mouth, a light bite on the gauze can help encourage clotting.

• 4

  Don't allow him to brush his teeth, rinse his mouth or spit for twelve hours after the surgery. These activities can break up the forming clot in the socket and prolong the healing process. After twelve hours, you can allow him to gently rinse his mouth out with a saltwater solution made from 1/4 cup of warm water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

• 5

  Feed your child soup broth or other non-dairy liquid foods for the first day after surgery. On the second day, and for the following day, try to give him only non-dairy soft foods and foods that are not excessively hot. Do not give the child a straw, as the sucking could break up the clotting blood in the socket and prolong recovery. Also do not give him dairy products for a few days, as you want to avoid any active bacteria from getting in or near the open socket as it is trying to heal. While it may be tempting to allow a child to eat ice cream after the surgery, the dairy can be harmful, especially the day of the surgery. Opt for popsicles or frozen ices instead, as long as no chewing is required.

• 6

  Place an icepack on the same side of the cheek as the tooth extraction. This will help with any swelling that occurs after the surgery.

• 7

  Manage any pain with a pain medication. Ask your dentist for a prescription pain medication or to recommend an over-the-counter medication that your child can take. Taken in the recommended doses, an over-the-counter medication such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen should help manage the pain, but it's always best to consult the dentist or doctor for advice on pain management.