Parents with young children suffering from toothache are often at a loss as to why they should suddenly be developing pain in their teeth. They make sure their kids brush regularly after meals and before bed. They’ve taken their kids to the dentist for a routine exam and, at that point, nothing of concern was found. Even so, their child is now crying in pain. New parents especially can be easily alarmed so it’s good to know that toothaches really are not uncommon in kids. If this sounds like you, here is what you should do.
Start By Inspecting Their Mouth
Before doing anything, even giving your child something for pain, it is necessary to carefully inspect their teeth and gums. Sometimes you can easily spot a cavity that is causing the pain and other times you might notice an area on their gums that is red and inflamed. If neither of those are found, you might want to check to see if they have a bit of food wedged between two teeth. This pressure can actually cause pain in the roots that are being pushed to the side. Once you’ve identified the issue, the next steps are recommended.
When an Immediate Dentist Appointment Is Required
If you don’t find anything alarming, you may still want to schedule an appointment with their regular paediatric dentist. However, if you see a cavity or area on the gum that is inflamed, you will probably want to visit an emergency dentist. These you can often get into much quicker than those on the NHS and with kids, easing their pain is your first priority. An emergency dentist Reading, for example, can often slot in kids with pain quite quickly.
An OTC Pain Medication for Kids Offers Quick Relief
There are actually two types of pain relief that you could try for the immediate relief of dental pain in your children. The first is OTC pain killers for children like paracetamol or ibuprofen. These will take at least a half hour to begin working so in the meantime you might want to rub a bit of Orajel on the area. This is commonly used in babies and children who are teething and can provide a faster relief while you wait for the pain killer to work.
After the Visit to the Dentist
Treating your child’s toothache doesn’t stop with that visit to the emergency dentist. You will undoubtedly be given instructions on what to do at home and that is a good start. However, it is advisable to double down on your efforts to maintain good oral hygiene in your child so that you can work to prevent future toothache from causing them pain.
It really is hard on a parent to watch their child suffer pain, and we all know how painful toothache can be. However, as much as it hurts you to see them suffering, don’t automatically think you’ve done something wrong. Toothache is not uncommon in children and even those who have had adequate dental hygiene at home can suffer a toothache now and again – especially when those molars start coming in!
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