WHAT TO EXPECT
FIRST VISIT
At this consultation, you and your child will meet our pediatric, friendly, Board Certified pediatric staff and review your child’s health history form. Our dentists will perform a head and neck examination and evaluate the health of your child’s teeth, gums and bite. We only take X-rays if our dentist considers it necessary following this initial evaluation. Any additional services will be explained to you by our dentist and our staff will schedule these services for later visits.
Following the exam and evaluation of your child’s dental health, our dentist and staff will create a treatment plan with you that best serves your child’s needs. You will receive the paperwork and a backpack containing all the information you will need to prepare for your arrival on your child’s scheduled surgery day.
We encourage you to assist in making your child’s first visit to the The Dental Ranch a positive and enjoyable one. Below are some tips to help best prepare your child for this visit.
Children are curious by nature so tell them what to expect:
- Caring dentists and a friendly staff that are ready to help make their smiles healthier.
- Tell them they are allowed to ask questions of the dentists and staff at any point during the visit.
- Avoid the use of words that might make them nervous or fearful: “needle”, “shot”, “pull”, “drill” or “hurt”.
- The staff at The Dental Ranch will deliver a positive honest message about their procedure to them in a casual, fun manner to
avoid causing unnecessary anxiety. - Remind them that you are a part of the team that will be caring for them at The Dental Ranch and you are their biggest fan.
Our staff at The Dental Ranch looks forward to serving you at a Children’s Health hospital soon!
If you are interested, our 5-STEP PROCESS offers a timeline of events.
SURGERY DAY
Our caring staff will be ready to greet you at the Children’s Hospital location you have selected for your child’s procedure. We recommend you arrive 15 minutes prior to your child’s scheduled surgery time with your completed paperwork and The Dental Ranch backpack so you are both settled and ready to begin.
Your child’s comfort and care are the top priority for our board certified dental surgeons, pediatric anesthesiologists and staff. You will be by your child’s side until it is time for the surgery procedure to begin. At this time, if your child is over the age of three, we ask that you place your child in our staff’s caring and capable hands for the duration of the surgery. Our staff is prepared to calm and accommodate any separation anxiety your child may feel in the surgery room. We are a team of board certified pediatric dental surgeons, pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric nurses…children’s health is our specialty. And, because you have been part of the treatment planning process, you can be sure your child is in capable, caring hands at all times during the surgery.
Our staff at The Dental Ranch looks forward to serving you at a Children’s Health Hospital soon!
Care After Dental Surgery
Following your child’s surgery, The Dental Ranch staff wants to help you continue to provide the most supportive care at home. The instructions below will assist you as your child recovers from anesthesia and begins the healing process. Please contact The Dental Ranch staff with any questions or concerns.
It is normal for your child to have a sore throat and nasal stuffiness after general anesthesia. These symptoms should get better within 48 hours or less. If your child has pain, discomfort or slight temperature elevation (less than 101 F), you may give Children’s Tylenol according to the directions on the bottle. If the temperature rises above 101 F, call your child’s private pediatrician or local emergency room.
Only a small amount of clear liquids should be given to your child for the first three to four hours after surgery. Suggested are such things as (Popsicles, water, Jell-O, Pedialyte, Gatorade, clear juices and broth). If your child is able to take in the clear liquids without any problem, soft foods such as soup, salted crackers, mashed potatoes and apple sauce may be added later in the day following the surgery. Your child should be able to eat typically the day after the surgery. For your child’s benefit, avoid foods that are too greasy, spicy, sticky, or hard. If your child feels nauseous or begins to vomit, stop any food or liquids for a couple of hours, then start over with clear liquids and gradually progress to regular foods.
You should observe and supervise your child’s activity for the rest of the day. Your child might experience sleepiness or dizziness for several hours following general anesthesia. Your child may return to school or normal activities the day after surgery if there are no problems.
Your child will be scheduled to return to The Dental Ranch for a follow-up appointment within 7-10 days after surgery. You will also receive a call from The Dental Ranch within three days after surgery to check on your child’s recovery.
Possible additional procedures your child may need will require the following care at home, as well.
Sealants are placed on the teeth without the use of local anesthesia; however, children may feel that their teeth do not fit together properly for a few hours. Crunching ice should be avoided because it may dislodge the sealant.
If local anesthesia was used to enable your child’s dental treatment, the lips, cheeks and tongue may be affected. Because your child may not be able to control the lip, cheeks, or tongue; they shouldn’t chew while the area is numb. Instead, while these areas are still numb, your child can drink or eat soft foods (smoothies, warm soup, Jell-O, etc.). Numbness will typically completely disappear after 3-4 hours. Because it feels odd, your child may want to bite the affected lip or tongue. It is important to watch your child and stop this behavior to prevent a painful bite.
Your child’s tooth has been covered with a stainless steel crown. This crown is shaped to fit the tooth and cover it completely, strengthening the tooth. Because the crown fits just below the gum line, your child may experience tenderness around the crown for a day or so. Children’s Tylenol is helpful in relieving this temporary discomfort. Your child should keep the area along the gum line clean and may need help with brushing for 2-3 days. The crown should be brushed and flossed just as the rest of the teeth. Your child should avoid sticky, chewy candy (Jolly Ranchers, Now or Later’s, Starbursts, etc.) because they may pull the stainless steel crown off.
We will keep your child until the bleeding stops. If it starts again after leaving, gently biting down on a piece of gauze should stop the bleeding. We will send some gauze with you in case you need it. Your child should only have soft foods (yogurt, oatmeal, popsicle) for the remainder of the day It is important to permit a strong clot to form at the site of the extraction. For this reason, carbonated beverages (Coca Cola, etc.) should be avoided for 24 hours. To prevent the clot from coming out, you should not allow your child to drink through a straw or rinse his/her mouth using mouth wash for at least 24 hours. If spitting is necessary, it should be done very carefully and softly so the clot doesn’t come out. Your child should avoid brushing around the area where the tooth was extracted for the remainder of the day.
Mild swelling and discomfort is normal following tissue trauma associated with after some extraction and filling procedures. If your child experiences any significant swelling or moderate to severe pain, please contact the The Dental Ranch staff or return to the clinic so it can be properly treated.
Our Insurance Coordinators can discuss all treatments required and all of the options available.
You will receive a full treatment plan, along with details of costs.