What to Do If Your Kid Has Toothache
A toothache is unpleasant whatever your age and at least adults are able to speak up and to get help when they have a tooth that hurts. For children, it can be much scarier, especially if there doesn’t seem to be any form of relief in sight. If you notice your child has become reluctant to have their teeth brushed, it might be that they have a toothache. Tooth pain can develop when a tooth becomes decayed or eroded in some way or is damaged, allowing bacteria in the mouth to penetrate the pulp chamber.
This is right in the central part of the tooth and contains nerves as well as some blood vessels. When it becomes inflamed or infected, it is very painful. Your child will definitely need to see a pediatric dentist as soon as possible if it is obvious they have a cracked or chipped tooth. Any home remedies will only provide a temporary stopgap. They can be useful to see your child through until you can get an appointment for them.
What to Do in the Short Term If Your Child Has Toothache
If your child has a toothache, there are various things you can do in the short term and which can help relieve the pain or discomfort. First of all, try gently flossing around the tooth as sometimes a toothache can be caused by a piece of food that has become impacted in between the teeth. Even a small piece of food can be enough to just slightly dislodge a tooth, causing pain. Afterward, get your child to rinse their mouth with plain warm water.
It can also help to provide them with a warm water rinse that contains a teaspoon of table salt. Just make sure that the water is lukewarm as it shouldn’t be hot or cold because this could increase the pain or sensitivity. However, an ice pack held on the outside of the cheek for a few minutes at a time can make them feel more comfortable. You can also use appropriate over-the-counter painkillers to help relieve the discomfort.
Don’t be tempted to place aspirin on their gums as this will not relieve the pain but could burn the delicate gum tissue. If the pain continues, contact your pediatric dentist as soon as you can for an emergency dental appointment. You should also contact them immediately if your child develops a fever or has facial swelling, or complains of feeling very unwell. The infection from a tooth can spread and may affect their general health. When this is the case, immediate treatment is required.
How Your Pediatric Dentist Can Help
When you contact your pediatric dental office, you will find the dental team will be anxious to help you. They will schedule an appointment for your child as soon as they can. Every effort is made to see children in pain as soon as possible, normally on the same day. In the meantime, they can offer useful advice on how to help your child and how to temporarily relieve the discomfort until they come in to see the dentist.
Pediatric dentists are specially trained to treat children, from infanthood into their late teens. If your child is nervous about seeing a dentist or has never been before, a good pediatric dentist will be able to help them relax. They will make them feel as comfortable as possible while diagnosing and treating their toothache. Additionally, pediatric dental offices are specially designed to create a warm and welcoming environment for kids.
This can be very soothing for an anxious child who is already in pain or discomfort. Their dentist will need to gently examine their mouth and will almost certainly want to take an x-ray. These days, dental offices will almost always use digital dental x-rays. These are very safe and only emit tiny levels of radiation, and are absolutely necessary for providing a definitive diagnosis.
The x-rays can immediately be displayed on the screen in the dental surgery. This allows the pediatric dentist to explain the problem to you and to your child if they are old enough to understand. The next step is to provide suitable treatment to relieve the pain and to hopefully save the tooth.
How is Toothache Treated?
This all depends on the extent of the infection, as a tooth that has become abscessed will need to be removed so the infection can be drained and cleared. If the infection is still confined to the pulp chamber, a pediatric dentist may recommend what is called a baby root canal procedure. This can be carried out on a child’s primary tooth.
Even though a child’s baby teeth will be replaced with heir adult teeth after just a few years, it is still important that they aren’t lost too soon. A baby root canal normally only cleans out the pulp chamber. An adult root canal will clean out the pulp chamber as well as the root canals extending into the tooth roots. Once cleaned and disinfected, the empty pulp chamber is sealed and filled.
If it is a back tooth or molar, it is often necessary to place a pediatric crown. Pediatric crowns are a little different from adult crowns in that they are performed. The pediatric dentist will shape the tooth to fit a suitable sized crown that will then cemented in place. This does mean treatment can be completed in a single visit.
Preventing Toothache in the Future
Once your kid’s toothache has been treated, your pediatric dentist will be able to suggest a suitable preventative dental care plan. This will hopefully prevent further infections in the future. This will include regular dental checkups and cleanings, as well as preventative treatments such as dental sealants and fluoride treatments. Pediatric dentists are also great educators and can work with you and your child in teaching the best brushing and flossing techniques.
Dietary advice is another area that can be useful in preventing tooth decay. Often foods that are marketed as being healthy and vitamin-rich, will contain high levels of hidden sugars. Knowing which foods are good for teeth and which are best avoided or kept as an occasional treat can be very useful.
Choosing the Safest Weight Management Program
If you are trying to lose weight, you have probably tried all of the fad diets, juicing and cleanses, and even new exercise programs. There are several safe ways that you can manage your weight and you don’t have to buy into any fad diets.
If you have tried everything that you can think of to lose weight, don’t give up!
There is always hope for you.
Losing those Extra Pounds
With all of the fad diets on the market today, how can you be sure that you are using the right one? It is possible to lose a few pounds a week if you follow a healthy diet with regular exercise. One way to lose 1-2 pounds a week is to burn more than 500 calories each day for an entire week.
There are many foods that you can eat that will help you to lose more weight.
If you eat a lot of vegetables along with drinking a lot of water, you will start to feel full and you will want to eat less. Many people will actually drink one full glass of water before a meal so they won’t eat as much.
The more water you drink; the more weight you will lose. Plus, water is great for your skin and your body.
Snacking When You’re Bored
Many dieters blame their boredom for their weight gain. If you stop sitting around the house and eating solely because you are bored, you can see those extra pounds shed away. By getting out of the house and going for a walk, you can slowly start to burn those unwanted calories.
If you take out all of those sweet and sugary snacks and replace them with fruits and vegetables to snack on, you’ll lose a lot of weight.
You will not only lose some weight, but you will begin to feel better as well. There are always healthier snacks if you find yourself eating more than three times a day. You should never skip meals when you are dieting. This is one of the unhealthiest ways to lose weight.
Any doctor or nutritionist will tell you that skipping meals can be very harmful to your body. If you are trying to lose weight quickly. Additionally, there are plenty of exercises that you can do that will help you to burn calories.
Other Healthy Ways to Manage Your Weight
Losing weight does not have to be stressful.
There are plenty of healthy ways to lose weight that will leave you happy and healthy. By eating a lot of fiber, you can help to reduce fat in your stomach area. Eat your food as slow as possible. If you eat slowly, you can actually trick yourself into thinking that you are full.
This will also help to reduce the hormones in your body that help you to gain weight. However, there are some medical reasons why some people gain weight. If nothing seems to be shedding your weight, it may be time to visit a weight management consultant. You could be insulin resistant or have a metabolic issue.
By changing your diet to include foods that are low in sugars, salts, and starches, you can watch your waistline get slimmer. There is no need to try these starvation diets. You can still eat delicious meals; just add more fruits and vegetables to them.
If you continue to drink a lot of water, you will not only look better, but your whole body will feel much better. There are many popular diets on the market and a variety of weight loss products. However, it is always best to consult a specialist in this field before pumping your body full of chemicals.
Exercising can help you to lose weight as well. If you aren’t ready to lift weights or run marathons, start by walking at least once a day. The more you walk, the better your body will start to feel.
Soon you will be running and using weights to add more muscle to your body. By sticking with a healthy weight management plan, you will start to love the way you look once more.
