Helping Your Teen Deal With Nausea And Vomiting After Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Wisdom teeth usually force their way into the mouth between the ages of 17 and 21, and dentists often like to remove these teeth so they do not cause oral health concerns. If you have a teenager, then your dentist may have scheduled a wisdom tooth removal for your child. Nitrous oxide may be offered during the procedure to help reduce pain and discomfort during the procedure. The gas is considered very safe, but it can produce some side effects. Nausea and vomiting are two examples and the information below can prepare you to offer your child assistance if they need it.

Nausea

Nausea is a common side effect of nitrous oxide, and the discomfort generally subsides quickly. Nausea can lead to vomiting though, and this means that you should try to calm your child's stomach as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the act of vomiting may rip the stitches open in the mouth and cause excessive bleeding. Your teenager may not be able to eat or drink anything immediately following the wisdom tooth removal, so you will not be able to use foods and beverages to soothe the stomach.

Use Peppermint Oil

People often recommend peppermint tea to soothe the stomach because peppermint contains soothing menthol.  It is also a muscle relaxant that can help reduce stomach and intestinal cramps that cause nausea. You cannot provide your child with peppermint tea, but you can use essential oils on the body to provide the same benefits.  

Mix about five or six drops of essential peppermint oil in about two tablespoons of olive oil. Place a small amount of the oil underneath the nose, behind the ears, on the hands, and on the feet. The peppermint will release a soothing smell and the oil will also absorb into the body to provide relief.

Provide Fresh Air

Nausea is often caused by nitrous oxide due to the lack of oxygen that is able to flow to the brain. Your child's dentist will try to adjust oxygen levels through the gas mask to make sure that the brain is not deprived, but a nauseous feeling can still occur. You can help to decrease the nausea by increasing the blood flow to the brain. Ask your teenager to sit with his head between his knees for several minutes to see if the nausea subsides.

You also should ask your child to sit outside for several minutes in the fresh air. It may be difficult for your child to breathe in a humid and stale environment like a home or dentist's office. The air outside is often much drier and more active and this can help your child bring more oxygen into the lungs. The outside air may be cooler as well, and this will help to reduce your child's body temperature. This is advisable, because heat can sometimes cause nausea.

Vomiting

If you are unable to reduce your child's nausea, then they may end up vomiting. If this happens, remove all of the gauze from your child's mouth and throw it away. Ask your child to spit out any vomit or blood that remains in the mouth, and immediately mix about one teaspoon of table salt in a glass of warm water.  

Ask your child to gently brush the teeth and tongue with his or her toothbrush and a small amount of toothpaste. Provide the rinse afterwards and prompt your teenager to gently move the fluid around the mouth for about one minute. Once the rinse is spit out, add new gauze to the mouth to help reduce tooth socket bleeding. The cleaning will help to keep foreign matter and bacteria away from the gums so that the tooth sockets can heal properly.

Provide Fluids

Your dentist may ask your child not to drink a great deal after wisdom tooth removal surgery, but it is wise to replace fluids so that dehydration does not become a concern. Your child may throw up again if they drink too much after vomiting, so start offering fluids about one or two hours after the vomiting episode. Water is best, so ask your child to take small sips from a glass every 15 minutes once the one or two hour wait period is up.

If your teenager needs to go through a wisdom tooth extraction procedure with nitrous oxide, then nausea and vomiting may be a concern after the operation is over. You can help your child deal with these side effects by following the advice above.

To learn more about wisdom teeth removal and what you can expect during the process, be sure to contact Sundance Dental Care.