Warning! Your Child’s Mouth is Numb – Prevent Accidental Injury
The local anesthetic given to prevent pain during dental procedures also prevents feeling pain from self-injury.
To a child, numbness may feel like “tingling,” “fuzzy,” “fluffy,” or “like an air bubble,” and parts of the face may feel like they are touching someone else’s face.
Most commonly affected areas: lips, cheeks, and tongue.
Children may find the sensation interesting and explore it more than usual, which can cause accidental injury without them realizing.
Behaviors That Can Cause Injury to Numb Soft Tissues
- Biting
- Sucking
- Chewing
- Scratching
- Pinching
- Pulling
- Scraping
- Rubbing
- Burning
Duration: Numbness usually lasts 30 minutes to 1 hour after the procedure, but can last up to 4 hours in some cases.
What We Do to Help Prevent Injury
- Instruct the child not to bite soft tissues (especially lower lip and tongue).
- Provide a cotton roll or “ghosty” to keep between teeth as a reminder (hold it, don’t bite).
Parent responsibility: Closely monitor your child until the numbness is gone.
If Your Child Bites Their Lip – What Now?
If a child bites themselves, it is usually a superficial injury but may look alarming.
- Healing: Mouths heal quickly; injuries typically improve within the first week and resolve by the second week without antibiotics or interventions.
Comfort tips:
- Soft foods for 48 hours (avoid crunchy or poky foods)
- Avoid spicy or acidic foods
- Use Motrin for pain
- Lukewarm saltwater rinses
- Apply vitamin E oil to promote healing