Anesthesia Discharge Instructions for Dental Procedures
Going Home from the Hospital
Someone from the hospital will help you get your child to the car safely. No buses after anesthesia. Your child should not walk by themselves until they are stable on their feet.
Activity after Discharge
An adult must be with your child at all times until they act and walk normally.
After Anesthesia
- Have your child do quiet things for the rest of the day, like reading a book or coloring.
- Your child may take a long nap, or be sleepy for the rest of the day. They may also be irritable for two to four hours after anesthesia.
- When your child is asleep, you should be able to wake them easily.
- Your child may be unsteady when walking or crawling and will need you or another adult to help keep them safe at home.
- If your child had a breathing tube during the dental procedure, they may have a sore scratchy throat that hurts when swallowing food or drinks. This usually goes away within 24 hours after your visit.
Medications
- Your child received ibuprofen at ________. Give the next dose of ibuprofen at __________.
- Your child received Tylenol at ________. Give the next dose of Tylenol at ________.
- You may alternate medicines to help with pain relief every three hours.
Helpful Tips
Redness from tape and adhesives may be present on your child's chest, cheek, and / or around their eyes following their procedure. This redness should resolve in 24 hours.
For Young Children (Infants and Toddlers)
- Have them play only on carpeted floors for the first day.
- Block stairs and doorways with safety gates.
- Pad the corners of sharp tables.
- Do not allow them to use toys or chairs with wheels.
For Older Children (Preschool to Teenage)
- Have your child rest on the floor or a couch in an area where an adult can watch them.
- Stay with your child when they are up walking (e.g., when going to bathroom).
- Limit your child’s activities during the first day after their dental procedure. Have them do quiet things such as read a book or watch TV. Avoid riding a bike, swimming, driving, sports, playing outside, handling sharp objects, working with tools or climbing.
- Keep your child home from school or daycare on the day of the test and maybe the next day if your child is still sleepy or cannot walk normally.
Diet after Discharge
- Start your child on clear liquids such as water, Kool-Aid, soft drinks, clear juices, popsicles and Jell-O.
- When your child is doing well on clear liquids, start a light diet (soups, crackers, pudding, toast, apple sauce).
- When your child is doing well on a light diet, they may return to their normal diet.
Instructions for Vomiting
- Allow their stomach to rest for about 30 minutes. Then you may give clear liquids.
- Do not make your child drink clear liquids if they do not want to drink.
- Have your child drink slowly (about 4-8 ounces over 30 minutes).
- Once your child drinks clear liquids without vomiting, wait 30 minutes before giving solid foods or milk. At this time, your child can begin to eat and drink normally.
- If your child vomits more than two times, call the anesthesia doctor or nurse (see Questions about Anesthesia below).
Call Your Child's Doctor If Your Child:
- Is hard to wake up
- Cannot eat or drink
- Vomits
- Has pain
- Develops a rash
- Does not act and walk normally within 24 hours
Questions about Anesthesia
If you have questions or concerns about how your child is doing at home after anesthesia, contact Anesthesia through the Radiology Department, 513-636-4251 (press option 5) or 1-800-344-2462 (ask for ext. 4251, and then press 5).
Questions about Dental Work
If you have questions about the dental work, please contact Dental Surgery Aftercare at 513-636-4641 during normal business hours. After hours, please call 513-636-4200 and ask for the dental resident on call.
