Post Tonsillectomy Care in Children

A tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure through which the tonsils are removed. While people can go through this surgery at any age, it is a lot more common in children, than it is in adults. During this procedure the patient is under the influence of anesthesia for around 30 to 50 minutes, which could lead to side effects for days or perhaps even weeks after the surgery. Therefore, proper post tonsillectomy care should be followed, which not only involves eating and drinking the right foods, but also the right dental routine.

In the first week or so, the child should avoid gargling or using toothpaste. As a part of post tonsillectomy in children, it is advisable to swish some warm water in the mouth gently. Gargling can cause the scabs to come off before they are ready, thereby delaying the healing process. The use of toothpaste could lead to severe burning and discomfort. Therefore, it is essential to gargle and use toothpaste, only after receiving a go ahead from the doctor. Some patients are allowed to brush their teeth with toothpaste around 6 to 7 days after the surgery, but for others it could be much longer. It is only natural for the child to have some amount of mouth odor because of this. However, this problem can be reduced by increasing the consumption of water, at regular intervals during the day.

answered by G M

Tonsils was removed 3 days ago for my 3 year old girl. Can I brush her teeth with toothpaste, as I only used water because was afraid that toothpaste would hurt her.