First and foremost, if you haven’t contacted your child’s dentist yet, we encourage you to do so immediately.
Depending on the severity of your child’s pain and the duration of the toothache thus far, your dentist will want to see your child right away to ensure it’s not a serious case and treat it appropriately.
In this article, the team at Murwillumbah Dental have established the appropriate steps to follow if you believe your child is experiencing a toothache.
Establish The Cause
We understand and empathise that sometimes, especially with younger children, it can be hard to have them explain what pain they are experiencing or the affected areas.
It’s important to at least try to attain what the root cause of the toothache may be so that you can let your child’s dentist know what may be causing it.
Of course, many children are notorious for getting cavities or not adequately brushing their teeth when they say they do. If you are aware that your child may not be cleaning their teeth properly or know that they haven’t seen their dentist in a while, a cavity or tooth decay is a probable cause of the toothache.
If this is not a likely case, some other common causes of toothaches in children may include:
- A dental abscess or infected tooth
- A fractured tooth
- A damaged filling
- Pain as a result of teeth grinding
- Pain as a result of gum chewing
- A gum infection
At this point, if your child is still experiencing a severe toothache, be sure to establish the symptoms, as below, and contact your dentist.
Establish The Symptoms
We encourage parents who believe their child is experiencing a toothache to ask yourself if they have any of the following signs. If they do, be sure to contact your dentist immediately as your child may need immediate dental treatment:
- Does your child have pain when opening their mouth?
- Are they experiencing an earache, as well?
- Are they showing signs of a fever?
If your child answers yes to any of the above questions, this may indicate a dental infection. While an infection of this nature may seem unlikely, it’s important to keep a close eye on your child until you see the dentist to ensure that if it is an infection, it’s not spreading to other areas of the face.
Seeing Your Child’s Dentist
Until your dental appointment, it’s imperative that you do your best to keep your child calm and, ultimately, as comfortable as humanly possible. The team at Murwillumbah Dental advises avoiding feeding your child any food that may irritate their tooth or gums further.
Once you see your dentist, be sure to strictly follow their advice and recommendations regarding pain management which may include children’s pain-relief medications.
It’s important to note that if you do give your child pain medication this may only temporarily conceal pain symptoms. These symptoms may return and possibly worsen once the medication has worn off. Be sure to keep an eye on this.
Preventing A Toothache
When visiting our practice, you may hear our dentists quote, ‘Prevention is better than a cure.’ If your child has previously experienced or is currently experiencing a toothache, there are some general tips and tricks you can follow to prevent the toothache from worsening or potentially returning.
Let’s suppose that the primary cause of your child’s toothache was tooth decay. To prevent the toothache from returning and potentially causing further issues for your child, you can encourage your child to practice good oral hygiene. Some of these may include, but are not limited to:
- Brush your child’s teeth twice daily
- Use a fluoride toothpaste
- Show and help your child floss adequately
- Asking your child’s dentist about fissure sealants
- Keep an eye on your child’s sugar intake
- Visiting your child’s dentist every 6 months, or as frequently as advised.
Book A Child’s Dental Appointment
If you need to book your child in for a dental appointment or are concerned about something regarding your child’s oral health, speak to one of our friendly team members today by calling us on (02) 6672 1068 or visiting our website now.
