While a rotting tooth is the typical cause of a toothache, your baby can suffer from aches and pains in his mouth before his first tooth even appears. The process of teething, where the teeth break through the gums, can be a very painful one, Kids Health and Healthy Children warns. Once teeth emerge in your baby's mouth, more pain can come if they decay.
Development
While your baby's teeth do not start to break through the gums until she's about 6 months old, tooth buds are forming before she's even born. Once the buds form the top of the tooth, or the crown, the root begins to develop beneath it. Teeth start to erupt once the crown is fully formed. First up are usually the front two bottom teeth, followed by the front four top teeth and then the other two bottom teeth, one on either side of the center bottom teeth. Most children have a full set of baby teeth by age 3.
Symptoms
Both teething and tooth decay can cause swollen and tender gums, as well as a host of other symptoms. Teething sometimes brings a low-grade fever, Healthy Children warns, but never one that goes above 101 degrees F. Teething also can make your baby irritable, prone to crying, drooling and grabbing at things to put in his mouth to chew. Toothaches caused by decaying teeth often cause the gums to bleed, pull away from the teeth or ooze pus around the affected tooth, the Mayo Clinic says. Teeth become extremely sensitive to heat, cold and sometimes even touch. If left untreated, a rotting tooth can lead to infection or fall out of the mouth.
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
A major cause of cavities in young children is a condition known as baby bottle tooth decay, the Mayo Clinic cautions. The condition is caused by prolonged exposure to baby bottles and sippy cups filled with formula, juice or other liquids that contain sugar that rots a child's teeth. It's seen frequently in babies who are put to sleep with the bottle still in their mouths or children who drink such beverages near bedtime. As the baby sleeps, the bacteria attacks and erodes teeth.
Cavity Treatment and Prevention
Cleaning your baby's mouth and teeth after she feeds is the place to start to prevent cavities, Mayo Clinic says. Use a wet, soft brush on visible teeth and a gauze pad to wipe the gums where teeth have yet to emerge. Toothache pain caused by a rotting tooth merits a trip to the dentist. Give your child medication only if you've cleared it with your doctor.
Teething Pain Treatment
Lessen teething pain by massaging one of your fingers along your baby's gum line, Healthy Children advises. Rubber teething rings also can help, although frozen ones are too hard and potentially harmful. Steer clear of medications that are applied directly to your baby's gums for any pain, as they are pretty much instantly washed out of your child's mouth and some can be harmful if swallowed.
