Tooth-colored fillings are designed to mimic the color and texture of natural teeth so that the fillings are less noticeable and more attractive than other types of fillings. Tooth-colored fillings are a good option because they can allow your child to smile, talk, and eat with confidence.

Post-Op Instructions:

• Eat softer foods for a couple hours due to patient mouth being numb
• Watch out for hot temperatures as patient can easily burn the mouth

Sealants do exactly what they sound like, they seal out food and plaque to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Made of clear or shaded resins, sealants are applied to protect the grooved and pitted surfaces of children’s teeth from cavities—especially the chewing surfaces of back teeth where most cavities occur. Sealants are affordable and can be applied quickly and easily in one visit, and your child will be able to eat right after the appointment. Once applied, they last for a long time and can help protect teeth throughout the most cavity-prone years. However, it’s important to remember that they are not a replacement for brushing and flossing; they’re just one step in the effort to keep your child cavity free. Our sealants have a two year warranty and will be repaired and replaced as needed at cleaning visits.

Post-Op Instructions:

• Stay away from crunching on ice or hard candy as these things can easily chip the sealant.
• Doctor will check every six months to ensure a good sealant.

We like to save teeth! But on occasion, an extraction is necessary. We refer to extractions as a “wiggle”!

Reasons to extract include:

• Make room for teeth that are coming in.
• Tooth decay that has destroyed enough tooth structure to prevent restoration
• Impacted or problematic wisdom teeth
• Some permanent teeth to make space for orthodontic treatment as determined by your orthodontist

Post-Op Instructions:

• Have child continue to bite on the sterile gauze pad for an additional ten minutes with pressure.
• Instruct your child not to rinse the mouth vigorously for at least twelve hours, though he or she may eat and drink. The object is to avoid disturbing the blood clot.
• Instruct child to eat softer foods for the next couple days so the socket doesn’t become irritated.
• Give the child Tylenol or Ibuprofen for pain.
• Stay away from carbonated drinks as this will disturb the blood clot as well.
• The anesthetic will be active for one to two hours. The child should take caution with hot foods and try not to bite lip or tongue.

Should there be any swelling, excessive pain, fever, excessive bleeding or any other unusual symptoms develop, please call the office. (417) 883-5866.

Pulpotomy. The top part of the nerve is taken out of the tooth and a medicated filling is placed into the tooth. A stainless steel crown or zirconia (white) crown will follow this procedure. If a crown is not placed, the pulpotomy has a lower success rate and may result in loss of the tooth.

Post-Op Instructions:

• Child will be numb from anesthetic for one to two hours
• Refer to crown instructions

LSTR (lesion sterilization and tissue repair). A fancy way of saying, let’s try to save a really sick tooth. When really important baby teeth, like the ones key for maintaining proper arch form and function, are no longer vital, this treatment is a great option! It is similar in time and method to a traditional pulpotomy (treatment for a still partly healthy tooth), but we change up a few steps. We actually leave an extra strong triple antibiotic medication within the tooth prior to placing the crown with the goal of killing off the bacteria causing the infection and giving the body time to heal and repair itself.

Post-Op Instructions:

• Monitor for worsened swelling or increased pain
• Return to office in 1-2 weeks for x-ray to monitor healing

When a tooth is significantly broken down due to decay or severely damaged due to injury, a filling may not be possible to restore the tooth—in such instances a crown is used. Much like a helmet to a head, the crown is placed directly over the tooth to cover and protect it. Unlike adult crowns made of porcelain, crowns for children are made of stainless steel or zirconia. This does not require the same amount of time for molds and shaping (allowing the procedure to be completed in one visit) and they are designed to come out as the permanent tooth comes in.

Post-Op Instructions:

• Stay away from anything sticky. This includes gum of any kind, caramels, tootsie rolls, starbursts, gummy bears, etc.
• No ice or hard candy as this can cause spacer or crown to break.
• Child’s gums may be sore from the preparation of crown. Give child Tylenol or Ibuprofen if needed.
• Patient may complain of crown hurting for a few days after placement. This is normal as the child will get used to the feeling of having something different in their mouth.
• If the crown comes out or becomes loose, call the office at (417) 883-5866 as soon as possible for a re-cementation.If the crown is off for too long, this can cause the tooth to drift.

Outpatient General Anesthesia is recommended for apprehensive children, very young children, and children with special needs that do not work well under conscious sedation or I.V. sedation. General anesthesia renders your child completely asleep. This would be the same as if he/she was having their tonsils removed or having a hernia repaired. Outpatient General Anesthesia is performed in a hospital or outpatient setting only.

Post-Op Instructions:

• 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.
• Your child’s first meal should be light and easily digestible.
• If your child vomits, help them bend over and turn their head to the side to insure that they do not inhale the vomit.
• Prior to leaving the hospital/outpatient center, you will be given a detailed list of “Post-Op Instructions” and an emergency contact number if needed.