My daughter has been a bit of a fever and now is complaining her tooth hurts. I know this sounds callous, but I’m really hoping it is medical and not dental because medical is cheaper. I can just give her an ibuprofen and hope it’s viral. If it can mean there is a tooth infection then I have to see a dentist and I just don’t have that kind of money right before Christmas. Does this make me sound like a terrible mother?
Paula
Dear Paula,
No, you don’t sound like a bad mother. You simply sound like a mother not wanting to spend money unnecessarily. That is an important quality too. While a tooth infection can cause a fever, that doesn’t necessarily mean that is what she has. It usually takes a bit for a dental infection to leave the confines of the tooth, which is when there would more likely be a fever.
Sometimes a cold or sinus infection can mimic tooth pain. That is because our tooth roots of our upper teeth are close to our sinuses. As a result, referred pain is a real possibility. If you’re talking about her bottom teeth, that is not as likely.
When you have children, finding affordable dental care is a must. Things blow up quickly in little ones. If it was a tooth infection and your daughter needed treatment, most dentists are understanding and have some type of payment plan option. They may have an in-house plan or work through Care Credit.
In your case, I would give her some ibuprofen along with some cold and sinus medication and see if that takes care of things. If it doesn’t, then you would need to look into seeing a dentist. What you don’t want to do is know it is a dental issue and leave it to fester. Then, it could quickly turn into a dental emergency.
Prompt attention to issues truly saves money in the long run. If it turns out it isn’t her sinuses, take her to see a pediatric dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.