General family education
Preparing for your child’s dental surgery
A clear, step-by-step guide from preparation through recovery
Revised - July 2026
Five short modules
Read in order or open only what you need
Each section starts with a short answer and expands for more detail.
01Understanding the recommendationWhy treatment while asleep may be recommendedThe dentist looks at your child’s needs, the dental work, and the safest way to complete it.
Some children have a hard time staying still or coping with local anesthesia and complex dental care. General anesthesia keeps a child asleep during care. It allows the team to complete needed work in one planned visit and spares your child the stress of going through multiple dental visits while awake.
The dentist will explain this option if it is advised for your child. The dentist will also explain its expected benefits, important dental risks, other choices, and what may happen if care is delayed or declined.
02Understanding the treatment planWhy the plan may change after X-raysClearer X-rays and a full exam may show details that were not seen at the office visit.
The first plan is based on the exam and X-rays taken before surgery. Once asleep, a more detailed exam and clearer X-rays are possible. Dental decay is a progressive disease and changes over time, sometimes very quickly. Whatever your child needs will be taken care of.
New findings may change which teeth need care or which treatment is best. Ask what may change and which choices are available to you.
03Before surgeryPreparing safelyUse the exact food, drink, medicine, arrival, and illness instructions printed for your child.
Your printed package shows when to stop solid food or non-clear drinks. It also shows when to stop clear fluids. Do not work out or guess these times from this page.
Follow the printed medicine directions. Bring each item listed by the clinic. This may include an inhaler, medications, and something that your child finds comfort in, such as a teddy bear or blanket. Call the clinic if your child is ill, has a new symptom, starts a new medicine, or if any direction is unclear.
Plan for the approved adult to travel with your child. Dress your child in loose, comfortable clothes. Leave jewellery and removable mouth or face piercings at home.
04At the clinicWhat happens on surgery dayThe team checks the plan and your child’s health before care starts.
After check-in, the nurse and anesthetist check your child. They make sure it is safe to go ahead. The anesthetist explains the anesthetic, answers questions, and makes sure your child is ready to proceed.
In our in-office Surgi Centre, parents or caregivers may be there while the anesthetic starts. At the hospital, parents are not permitted in the operating rooms for sterility and contamination reasons. After surgery starts, the parent waits in the waiting area. The care team will invite you to be with your child for recovery when your child is ready.
The nurses will give you home-care instructions for your child before you leave.
05After surgeryRecovery and when to get helpUse the discharge sheet for medicine, food, drink, mouth care, warning signs, and phone numbers.
Your discharge sheet is the main guide for home care. It is based on the care your child received. Keep it nearby. Share it with each adult who will care for your child.
Call the clinic or on-call care provider for any warning sign on the sheet. Also call if recovery is not going as the team said or if you are worried.
If you think your child is in danger now, call 911 or get emergency care.
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For specific information regarding your child's surgery, procedures, instructions, financial information, and post-operative care, refer to the surgery package you were given or call our office at 705-722-3213.