Toddler Tooth Pain Home Remedies, According to Your Dentist

Dental care for children remains a concern in the U.S., given that 42 percent of children aged between two and 11 years old have dental caries in their primary teeth. Toothache is one of the unfortunate outcomes of tooth decay, and it is particularly heartbreaking to see toddlers and suffer piercing tooth pain.

A dentist’s appointment and treatment are a given, but often, children have to bear the pain a bit longer before it can get better. In this article, Miller Comfort Dental offers dental care tips for children in Lakeville, specifically how to treat dental pain for toddlers at home.

Pain Relief for Toddlers’ Tooth Pain

At the first hint of toddler tooth pain, we recommend booking an appointment at our dental clinic in Lakeville. Tooth pain usually occurs when decay has progressed and reached the pulp of the tooth, sending destructive bacteria to the very sensitive chamber filled with nerves and blood vessels. This needs immediate treatment, but what that entails depends on several factors. Your child’s dentist will know the best course of action after a check-up.

If the cause of your child’s pain is a chipped, cracked, or knocked tooth, however, call your dentist’s emergency number. Your child must receive treatment immediately for these dental emergencies, especially if the broken tooth has sharp, jagged edges.

While waiting for treatment, you can do the following to reduce the swelling and pain:

• Apply a cold compress on the swollen area.
• Encourage your child to rinse their mouth with a warm, salt-water solution.  

Toothache Medicine for Kids

Over-the-counter painkillers are available, but we strongly advise that you resort to meds only after checking with your child’s dentist or pediatrician. You want to make sure that any medicine they take will actually take effect. More importantly, you’ll need to get the correct prescription and dosage.

Children may take anti-inflammatory medications, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen as well as paracetamol. You can buy these without a doctor’s prescription, but to be safe, secure advice from your child’s doctor.

Home Remedy for Kids’ Toothache

Even with both dental treatment and medicine, it can take a while for toothache to ease. You may also have to adjust your child’s diet and keep their activities to a minimum while they heal from their dental ailment.

Below are some tips and examples of toothache remedy for kids at home:

• Use a cotton swab to apply a small amount of diluted clove oil to the affected tooth. Clove oil acts as a pain reliever with antibacterial properties, so it can help alleviate dental pain.
• Alternatively, you can use peppermint oil (not peppermint extract, which has high alcohol content) to alleviate the pain. It tastes better than clove oil, too.
• Prepare soft food that’s neither too warm nor too cold. Examples are puddings, mashed potato, oatmeal, and smoothies. Don’t give your child hard food or sugary beverages and food.
• If the pain eases and your child becomes active again, keep them from getting too rowdy. Jumping, running, and bumping into people and things can trigger nerve endings connected to the jaw and cause a sharp pain to flare from the affected tooth.

Toddlers can only depend on their parents and guardians when toothache sets in. Ease your child’s pain the safe way by following the tips above. For the best care, bring your child to your family dentist at Miller Comfort Dental.

Seek the best children’s dental care in Lakeville — your children deserve it. Request an appointment today.