I have always envied those around me who seem to always have perfect smiles without even trying, because I feel like I was born with "bad teeth." While my teeth are in great shape now, it is only because I take great care to visit the dentist every six months for a check-up and cleaning and maintain good oral hygiene habits at home. While I used to get a lot of cavities, even though I thought I was doing "everything right" to keep them away, I am proud to say that I have been cavity-free for a couple of years now! I put a lot of research into what daily habits can wreak havoc on my teeth, and I thought it would be a shame not to share what has helped me with others who need the advice. I plan to post many oral health tips on my new blog!
When your child comes to you in the middle of the night with a toothache, you may start to stress and wonder what on earth you can do to make them feel better again. Luckily, there are a few steps that you can take both at home and the next morning to help your little one go back to bed and start to feel like themselves.
Step 1: Look In their mouth
The first thing you should do is look in your child's mouth. While a toothache is likely something like a cracked tooth or a cavity, it could also be something minor like something lodged in between their teeth that you could get out with some dental floss. If you look in their mouth and see something like a hole or a black speck on their tooth, then it's likely that they have a cavity.
Step 2: Give them ibuprofen
As long as your child doesn't have any sort of health issues that would interfere with them taking a blood thinner like ibuprofen, they should be good to go. Children over the age of six months are typically okay to take ibuprofen, which can help to both alleviate the pain they are feeling and any inflammation they may have that is caused by an infection.
Step 3: Give them an ice or heat pack
The next thing you can do to help them feel more comfortable is to give them either an ice pack or a heat pack to keep on their cheek where they are experiencing pain. Because your child could be sensitive to both cold and heat, try putting a washcloth or rag between the pack and their skin so that they can sleep more comfortably.
Step 4: Elevate their head
Another thing that can help with oral pain is to keep their head elevated. This can help with inflammation and also help them sleep more peacefully at night.
Step 5: Call the dentist
The next morning, call your dentist and get your child in for a dental appointment as soon as possible. Typically, you can get them in right away if you tell them just how uncomfortable that they are.
Helping your child sleep well after they are experiencing tooth pain can be difficult, but hopefully these tips will help until they can get in to see their dentist for an exam. To learn more, reach out to a dentist in your area.
Share18 March 2021
