Kids’ Tooth Pain: Causes & Treatment

As a concerned parent, you never want to see your kid in pain. As adults, we usually know what to do when we are not feeling well. Kids do not always know how to act or what to do when they are in pain.

It is important to know how to recognize tooth pain in younger kids. If your kid is complaining about tooth pain, it is important to find the cause so they can get the right treatment and feel better.

Causes of Tooth Pain

Here are a few reasons for kids’ tooth pain.

Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding is the unintentional grating of the teeth against each other. Teeth grinding is common during sleep. Kids may be more likely to grind their teeth if they are stressed, struggle with anxiety or depression, have an earache, experience a sudden big change, are taking certain medications, or have a misaligned bite. Also, kids that may have a restrictive airway problem (i.e. tonsils, narrow airway, tongue space, bite affected airway, etc.) show a link to teeth grinding. Kids who grind their teeth need treatment to prevent the teeth grinding from causing serious problems like lack of sleep and poor school performance, etc.

Tooth Decay

If a cavity spreads to the root of the tooth or beyond the tooth’s roots (becoming a systemic infection), it can cause a lot of sensitivity and tooth pain in kids. It is important to notice and treat tooth decay as early as possible.

Gum Disease

Gum disease is a painful infection of the gums that can cause tooth pain too. When caught and treated early on, gum disease can be reversed.

New Tooth

It can feel really painful to have a new tooth coming in. Thankfully, the pain usually goes away when the tooth fully emerges.

Diagnosing Tooth Pain

How to Recognize Tooth Pain in Toddlers

It can often be hard for toddlers to describe what they are feeling. When your toddler feels pain, they may not be able to tell you exactly what hurts. It is important that parents recognize if their toddler has tooth pain, and there are some signs to know. If your toddler surprisingly starts drinking or eating less, gets upset when drinking or eating, is more tired than usual, has a fever, has a swollen face, or is rubbing their ears a lot, they may be experiencing tooth pain.

How do I know if it's serious enough to see a doctor?

Look inside your toddler’s mouth whenever you brush their teeth. If you see swelling, red gums, damaged teeth, discolored teeth, or loose teeth, schedule an appointment for your child to see a dentist. Also, if you cannot figure out why your toddler is experiencing tooth pain, make your toddler a dentist appointment. Some types of issues, like hairline tooth fractures, may not be easy to see.

Home Remedies for Toothache Relief

If your child has a toothache, it is important to take your child to see the dentist. In the meantime, you can ease their pain with these home remedies.

Ice

Wrap ice in a towel and gently hold it on your child’s face.

Clove Oil

Use a cotton swab to put clove oil onto the painful tooth.

Warm Salt Water Rinse

Mix warm water and salt together and have your child rinse their mouth with the mixture.

Pain Reliever

Give your child the proper dose of a pediatrician approved, anti-inflammatory pain reliever.

Treating Tooth Pain in Children

Cavity Filling

If the tooth pain is caused by a cavity, preventative and restorative measures are taken to keep the decay from spreading to the rest of the mouth and relieve the pain. When a filling is needed, the dentist cleans away the decay and fills in the cavity with a silver or white colored filling or crown.

Mouth Guard

If your child has tooth pain caused by nighttime teeth grinding, your child’s dentist may make a custom mouthguard for your kid to wear while they sleep. This is more common once the child has all permanent teeth due to the structure of their mouth changing with baby teeth. The mouth guard will discourage teeth grinding and protect the teeth from damage if any teeth grinding happens.

Antibiotics

If the tooth pain is caused by a bacterial infection, your child’s dentist may prescribe antibiotics to heal the infection and relieve the pain. Although it’s important to understand that antibiotics do not enter the tooth and cannot treat tooth decay. If an antibiotic is prescribed, it is only a temporary solution until the source of the infection is managed.

Preventative Care

The best way to treat tooth pain is to prevent it from happening. Make sure your child practices good dental hygiene, eats a nutritious and healthy diet, and visits the dentist regularly for check-ups.

We are leaders in providing high-quality and compassionate dental, orthodontic, and vision services. Help your kids thrive with regular dental checkups. Visit our Dental Services page to learn more about dental care for children, and book an appointment at a convenient location near you.

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