As your child grows, it's important to equip them with excellent dental habits. However, even though your child may be flossing and brushing well, toothaches can still occur. Knowing what steps to take based on information from a pediatric dentist can prevent and ease your child's discomfort. Below is a compilation of causes and remedies for your child's toothache.

Causes and Remedies for Toothaches

Possible Toothache Causes

There are a variety of toothache causes. If your little one cannot eat because of a toothache, the child might have a cavity where decay has reached the tooth’s blood vessels and nerves. You might be able to see the decay on the child’s tooth, which typically looks like a brown or black spot. 

Other causes include the presence of a tooth abscess, which is a pocket of pus that forms around an infected tooth, or even a cold sore, which can make the child think they have a toothache even though the pain is not tooth-related. If your child is teething, the toothache is likely due to emerging baby teeth. Often, especially as children begin to walk, stumbling and falling is a regular part of their day — a particularly hard fall in which the child bumps their tooth can also cause a toothache.

Remedies for Your Child's Toothache

Whatever the cause, it is important for your child to drink water, which prevents dehydration symptoms such as cool skin, infrequent urination, unusual crankiness, dry mouth and tongue, and sunken eyes. A dry mouth prevents bacteria and food particles from being flushed away, which increases the risk of cavities and gum irritation. 

Provide a cold compress or chilled teething toy to reduce your child’s toothache pain, and then call a local pediatric dentist. A dental professional will identify the exact cause of your child’s toothache, such as a cavity or cracked tooth, and provide the appropriate services and treatment. Your pediatric dentist might also offer home remedies to help prevent infection, which typically include rinsing with salt water. 

Do not hesitate to call Honolulu Keiki Dental if your child has a toothache. These pediatric dentists have helped children throughout Honolulu and Kapolei, HI form healthy dental care habits since 1982. Call (808) 944-1603 today to make an appointment and view their full range of services online. Get more dental care tips on Facebook.