Posted by Dr. Bill Williams on March 14, 2022 · 1 Comment
It’s very difficult when your child is in any pain and toothaches can happen in your little ones. Let’s start by addressing what could be the cause of their toothache: their diet. If your children eat excessive candy or drink a lot of soft drinks, they may experience decay or cavities. The bacteria that live in your child’s mouth breaks sugar down into acid which then causes erosion of their teeth. Ask your child to point out where the pain is. Other causes could include mouth ulcers or swollen gums a cold sore which can affect inner mouth areas. Look inside your child’s mouth for swelling or red spots. If you see anything suspicious call your dentist and get an appointment immediately. Using home remedies could help temporarily but don’t let that deter you from making an appointment because without fixing the source, the ache will come back.
You can apply a warm damp cloth to the affected area from the outside. Try giving some Children’s Tylenol to your child and make sure they are not touching it or playing with the area. Don’t delay treatment as your child needs immediate and necessary dental care.
We suggest several things to help make your child’s first visit a pleasant one:
- When your child has a dental appointment, make it part of a trip where they get to do something fun afterwards.
- Don’t let your dentist wear a mask when introducing him/herself to your child.
- Taking a favorite toy may help distract your child from fear or stress
- Children pick up on their parents fears so if you are fearful of the dentist, don’t let your child know that.
- Don’t use threats as a way to make your child go to the dentist because they will then see it as a punishment instead of a help.
- Rewarding your child for being good at the dentist is always encouraging.
Most of all try not to let a toothache be the first reason your child sees a dentist. We always recommend starting young and introducing your child to good oral hygiene at a young age to develop healthy habits. As said before, the condition of your child’s baby teeth can affect that of the permanent teeth so start those good habits young!
I love our dentist. My kid is typically afraid of everything but the dentist had a bunch of sunglasses for him to choose from to shade his eyes from the light and was great about explaining what he was doing so Jake felt more “grown up”.