How to Help Your Child Recover from Oral Surgery
Last week was a harrowing one for our little family. Nora, our 8 year old, underwent her first surgery. And, although this surgery is something we have been anticipating since her first trip to the dentist two years ago, it didn’t make the day any easier.
Feature Image by Greta Hoffman
You see when Nora was just six her dental x-rays showed something I never knew was possible…a supernumerary tooth. Basically, she was gifted with an extra tooth resting right on top of her two front teeth. So, two years ago we went through the motions – visit the orthodontist, then the oral surgeon. You know, get the whole dental team in place, and set up a care plan for all of her dental needs.
However, when it was disclosed by the oral surgeon that Nora would have to be put under general anesthesia to extract the tooth, I decided it would be better to wait. Electively putting a six year old to sleep, for something that wasn’t life threatening seemed like the wrong move to me. And, according to the oral surgeon, it was entirely possible that the supernumerary tooth would just fall out along with her baby teeth.
So, the watch and wait approach is the one we decided to take. And ultimately that approach led to surgery.
One thing we all discovered the day of surgery is that Nora does not like needles. It took about two hours to get the IV in her arm, and less than 30 minutes for the surgery. The recovery period is still underway.
Nora’s top lip and one side of her face became very swollen. We are now three days post surgery, and just today the swelling has slightly subsided.
Here are some of the things we have been doing to help Nora recover:
1. Lots of rest and screen time
Resting in a head above heart position is key to help with the swelling. And, streaming Halloween movies is perfect for this time of year. We also binge watched season three of Bluey. Lots of cuddles and snuggles are just what the doctor ordered.
2. Freezer is stocked with ice cream and ice packs
After surgery Nora basically survived on ice cream. We kept the choices basic with vanilla and chocolate. Her favorite? Chocolate. It was crazy how fast that ice cream was devoured. The ice packs are crucial for the first 24 hours to help with swelling. 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.
3. Salt Water Rinses
We try to get Nora to do this after each meal to help the surgery site heal faster. But, this started the day after surgery, along with brushing teeth.
4. Hydrate
After the numbing sensation left from her mouth, Nora was able to drink with a straw. And, of course we suggested water as much as possible. Using a silicone straw also helped!
5. Pain Medication
We filled the prescription from the doctor asap. And, boy did it play a huge part in keeping Nora comfortable. Pain meds are only to be taken with food. We were sure to administer her final dose right before bedtime, and give her one dose during the day when she was noticeably in pain.
Like I said before, recovery is still underway but, today Nora is acting much more like her normal self. So, it’s been getting progressively louder around the house again. Justin noted how much he was enjoying the quiet during the first couple of days…I’m just happy she is starting to feel better.
