In some situations, you can easily tell when your child has entered an emergency. A broken bone, a cut needing stitches, or something improperly ingested merits a trip to the emergency room. However, sometimes with dental emergencies, the lines are not so clearly demarcated. For instance, what should you do if your child has sensitive teeth? Does this even count as a dental emergency or a serious dental issue for little kids? In this post, you’ll learn how to manage this scenario and assist your child.
What Does Having Sensitive Teeth Mean?
Unlike pain, which always points to something wrong, sensitivity doesn’t necessarily mean you have a dental emergency on your hands. It could result from gum recession from brushing too hard, a lot of enamel wear, chips or cracks in tooth structure, or a deep cavity. Because of the wide range of issues that can cause tooth sensitivity, it’s important to be aware of a few things to know whether it’s a serious problem or could wait until your child’s next appointment.
How Do You Know If Tooth Sensitivity Is Serious?
If you notice any of the following in your child, or they report any of these symptoms, it can be considered a dental emergency:
- Triggered sensitivity when you eat or drink something sweet, cold, or hot can indicate that these substances have access to deeper, more vulnerable parts of your teeth. It could indicate that a cavity has dug into the tooth.
- Sensitivity upgrading to pain. At that point, it becomes an urgent matter for your child’s dentist to diagnose and treat.
- Your child’s sensitivity leads them to not bite or chew with that area of their mouth or interferes with their daily activities or performance.
What Should You Do If Your Child Has Sensitive Teeth?
Make note of when their tooth sensitivity starts and under what circumstances it comes up. Should their discomfort progress to pain or persist over a couple of weeks, they may need an urgent dental appointment. However, if your child already has a dental checkup close on the calendar, sensitivity in and of itself probably isn’t a reason to schedule an emergency visit before then.
Instead of going to the dentist for sensitive teeth, you can try some methods at home to provide relief. Make sure your child brushes and flosses their teeth thoroughly for two minutes twice per day and flosses at least once daily. Consider giving them an anti-cavity mouthwash that contains fluoride. This mineral adds layers of protection and strength to the enamel, making it hard for foods to trigger discomfort.
Although tooth sensitivity can be hard for most laypeople to understand and interpret, your general dentist can answer your questions, give you guidance, and provide any necessary treatment to get your favorite smile up and running again!
About the Practice
Williamsburg Dental is available to help with your dental emergencies, and six locations in the Lincoln area make our offices convenient and close to you. We offer same-day appointments, 24-hour hotline support, and other special features, which means your child won’t need to wait long for an appointment at their time of need. If you need help with a dental emergency, have a child requiring treatment, or want to make an appointment, just contact your closest location.