Seeing an Emergency Pediatric Dentist for a Child’s Toothache

When your child is dealing with tooth pain, relief cannot come soon enough. An emergency pediatric dentist can treat your child’s toothache in most cases. Here are some important things to know about childhood toothaches and when to seek emergency care.

Causes of toothaches in children

Tooth decay is the leading cause of toothaches in children. When cavities go untreated, they can work their way to the living dental pulp in the center of the tooth, causing pain and infection that will spread and worsen if not dealt with. A child may crack or damage a tooth without realizing it and suffer a toothache. Other causes include new tooth eruptions, gum disease, and sinus infections that feel like toothaches in the upper teeth.

When is a toothache a dental emergency?

Some tooth pain, like that associated with tooth eruption, does not constitute a dental emergency. However, if the toothache is severe enough, having the child evaluated by an emergency pediatric dentist as soon as possible is important. A child’s toothache is a dental emergency if it comes with these symptoms:

• Swelling (including of the face or jaw)
• Bleeding/discharge
• Pockets of pus in the gums
• Trouble chewing/speaking
• Fever

If a child has one or more of these in addition to a toothache, contact an emergency pediatric dentist immediately.

Going to the ER or an emergency pediatric dentist

In most cases, it is not advisable to go to a hospital emergency room or ER for dental emergencies. These facilities are not set up to handle dental care, especially pediatric dental care. The most ER staff can usually do is treat and control symptoms such as swelling, fever, and bleeding until the patient can see a dentist.

The only time one should go to the ER is if the child is having symptoms that indicate a threat to life or risk of disfigurement or disability. For example, if the child has difficulty breathing or swallowing, this could be a sign that an infection compromises vital functions. The child is best served in most dental emergencies by locating an emergency pediatric dentist.

What to do while waiting to see the provider

We recommend that parents find an emergency pediatric dentist before an emergency occurs. This way, parents can call the provider immediately when the child develops a toothache. Emergency pediatric dentists often have same-day appointments and weeknight and weekend hours. Here are some steps parents can take to care for their child’s toothache while waiting to see a provider:

• Apply a cold pack to reduce pain and swelling
• Give the child an anti-inflammatory medication for pain
• Have the child rinse with warm salt water