What Should I Do if My Child Has a Toothache
Gresham, OR
As a parent, seeing your child in pain can be quite distressing.
When your child is dealing with a toothache, you want to make the pain stop, but you may not be sure what to do.
Fortunately, toothaches can be treated, and Douglas L. Park, DDS, Pediatric Dentistry can help.
Dealing With Teething
If your child is a toddler, a toothache pain that they are feeling could actually from teething. Teething is the eruption of the baby teeth through the gums. This process often begins around the age of 6 months and continues until all 20 baby teeth come in.
The last of the baby teeth usually arrive sometime between the second and third birthday. The process then starts over around the age of 6 and continues into the early teen years as the baby teeth fall out and the adult teeth begin to emerge.
Teething pain often begins about two days before the tooth erupts through the gums. Once it breaks through the tissue, the pain often goes away.
Signs that your toddler is teething include, tender gums, increased saliva production, chewing on their fingers, crankiness, and interrupted sleep. While it can cause your toddler pain, there are several things that you can do to ease their discomfort.
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Give your child a cold, damp washcloth to chew on.
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Massage the gums with a clean finger.
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Invest in a teething toy.
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Provide children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief with the okay from their pediatrician. Make sure to follow the dosing instructions. |
Taking Care at Home
For older children who are not going through the process of teething, a toothache could be one of a few different things. One of the first things you can do is check to make sure that there is nothing stuck between their teeth. Help your child thoroughly brush and floss their teeth. Take care not to do so aggressively.
Then have your child rinse their mouth out with a salt water solution. Sometimes, a toothache can simply be the result of a piece of food lodged between their teeth and removing it can help to provide immediate relief.
Emergency Care in Our Office
If there is nothing stuck between the teeth, the toothache might be the result of something more serious. Your child might have a cavity. If your child is complaining of toothache after playing and they fell or were hit in the face, they may have suffered an injury to the tooth.
These issues, if not treated right away, can lead to an infection that can affect not just the damaged tooth but the developing permanent tooth as well.
If you suspect damage to a tooth or an infection, it is important to call our office immediately. This is one of many reasons why you should choose a pediatric dentist. We will do our best to get your child in as soon as possible. Once in the office, we will thoroughly look over the teeth and gums, checking for any issues.
X-rays may also be needed to see if there is any damage or signs of infection below the gum tissue. Once we make a diagnosis, we can then provide the treatment your child needs to alleviate their toothache.
Getting proper treatment in the event of a toothache can help to alleviate the pain your child is experiencing and can also restore their oral health. If you have any questions or concerns, call Douglas L. Park, DDS, Pediatric Dentistry today at (503) 663-8141. |
