Your child has received local anesthesia today as part of their dental treatment. You should watch your child carefully to prevent them from chewing, scratching or vigorously rubbing the numb area since they will feel no pain. This is most often a problem when the lower jaw is numb since the numbness includes the lip, chin and inner cheek area. The anesthesia will typically last 2-3 hours, although this time may vary.
During this time your child should avoid chewing any food on that side as this may result in inadvertent self- inflicted trauma. Maintain a soft or liquid diet only for this initial period.
Should your child inadvertently bite or chew their mouth, ulceration and swelling may occur but should heal uneventfully in 7-10 days and leave no scarring. The area would appear whitish in color which is not an indicator of infection, but rather represents both the traumatized tissues and the newly forming reparative tissue.
Feel free to give your child Tylenol®, Advil® or other children’s non-aspirin containing pain mediation for any discomfort.