20 April 2019
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

When your child indicates to you that he or she has a toothache, you'll generally want to call your family dentist to see when you can get in for an appointment. In an effort to learn as much about the problem as possible, the person who answers the phone will likely ask you a handful of questions. The last thing that you want to do is fail to have appropriate answers, so it's a good idea to encourage your child to describe the toothache as accurately as possible. While you'll obviously want to tailor your questions to the age of the child, here are some topics that you should cover during this conversation.

Constant Versus Acute

Some toothaches can be constant. Your child may wake up with a sore tooth, and experience this discomfort steadily throughout the day. In other cases, the pain may be intense at times, such as when the child is eating, and dull or even nonexistent at other times. Work with your child to get him or her to describe the pain of pain that he or she is experiencing. You can then relay this information to the dental clinic, which can respond accordingly. In the case of a toothache with painful acute periods, the clinic may ask you to come in right away.

Throbbing

Another way that you can describe your child's toothache when you call your family dentist is by indicating whether it's throbbing or not. There are several reasons why a sore tooth might throb, including some that are serious. For example, a throbbing sensation can often suggest that some sort of infection is present around the tooth. Your child might have trouble understanding the idea of throbbing, especially if he or she is young, so it's advantageous if you can explain the phenomenon of throbbing as a rhythm. You might even want to make a rhythmic sound or motion with your hand to help your child to understand this concept.

Referring Pain

There's a considerable chance that the dental clinic receptionist will ask you if the child's toothache is causing referring pain — in other words, pain that extends beyond the site of the toothache and into other parts of the child's body. Some people can experience jaw pain or headaches when they have sore teeth, so you should ask your child if he or she is noticing any of these serious issues. Based on how the child responds to questions about each of these topics, the clinic will decide when you should come in.

Contact a dental company like Mainwaring John D DDS today to learn more.