Four years olds gums are suddenly bleeding and ulcerated - dentist advising it could be viral

[SleepFreeZone]

I have taken my eye off the ball over Christmas and let my partner deal with my four year old while I sort the baby and the festivities. So he has been cleaning his teeth night and morning and getting him washed dressed etc.

I am very careful with his teeth and his last dental appointment was about 6 weeks ago and everything was fine. This morning I noticed his gums were red and inflamed with red dots and white marks which the dentist has said is the start of an ulcer. My partner took him to the dentist this afternoon as I managed to grab a cancellation and from what I can gather he has said he sees this a lot in children my son's age. He is currently unwell so he is attributing it to a virus and advising we try and get him to gargle salt water and if it doesn't clean up in a week we are to ring NHS direct.

I'm so angry with myself as I don't know when this started and I also think the dentists advise seemed a bit woolly. He hasn't suggested seeing him again or mentioned referring him or anything. I assume ringing the NHS helpline will be to try and get referred to a dental hospital?

Any advice would be very much appreciated as I need a plan of action beyond just waiting and seeing what happens. Thank you.

[PotteringAlong]

You're angry with yourself because your son has got a virus? Why?

[SleepFreeZone]

I'm angry with myself as I'm worried this has nothing to do with a virus and potentially everything to do with my partner not cleaning his teeth properly and him eating tons of crap over Christmas.

[notagiraffe]

You could try changing your toothpaste. get him a new brush and a toothpaste that doesn't have sodium lauryl sulfates in it. And don't let him eat bananas for a while. Both of these are very common causes of mouth ulcers and can appear any time, even if DC weren't previously susceptible to them.
Calgel might help soothe the pain until then.

[PotteringAlong]

But he's ill. He's got the start of an ulcer, which you get when you're run down. Which he is. The dentist isn't concerned. This seems to be a drama over nothing.

[FadedRed]

Is it just a small area of his mouth that is affected, or all his mouth? And you say he is 'unwell' - what other symptoms has he got?

[SleepFreeZone]

All his gums are swollen and inflamed and sore. He has some bleeding and he has a white patch that the dentist has identified as the beginnings of an ulcer.

He has been unwell since yesterday. Not eating and wanting the sleep a lot.

[SleepFreeZone]

At the moment I am using the purple kids one with sugar neutraliser in it. Interestingly he has started eating bananas recently and has always turned them down before.

[Goje]

my partner not cleaning his teeth properly

Why were his teeth not cleaned properly? Was that the first time your partner had ever cleaned his teeth?

Can he clean his own teeth properly?

[LeonardoAcropolis]

Ooh, poor ds. It might be hand, footh and mouth disease. A friend's dd once had this and her gums were the worst affected.

[Petalbird]

Why is your ds not cleaning his own teeth?

[SleepFreeZone]

He is four!! Are all your four year olds cleaning their own teeth?!!!

[SleepFreeZone]

I hadn't thought of have foot and mouth. I shall go and look that up.

[SleepFreeZone]

*hand

[FadedRed]

I would suggest you get him looked at by your GP.

[SleepFreeZone]

Faded I think I will if he is no better on Monday. He is eating dinner at the moment so he must be feeling brighter. His gums just honestly look shocking. Every time he talks to me I can't keep my eyes off them.

[Badders123]

Primary hepatic gingivostomatitis?
Google it.
Needs antivirals.
Ds2 had it December 2015
Was quite prorogl with it though

[SleepFreeZone]

I think you could be right, he has a blister on his lip 😔

[Badders123]

Get him to the GP....antivirals will sort it out x

[TKRedLemonade]

Quite often gingivostomatitis actually does not require antivirals at all. The mainstay of treatment in most cases is actually just analgesia

[Badders123]

My son nearly ended up on a drip as he even refused liquid due to the ulcers and pain.
If it is severe anitivirals are needed.

[TKRedLemonade]

Yes I agree, if it's severe, but not every case needs a GP urgently to give antivirals as had been suggested. If he gets analgesia and can eat and drink then antivirals won't be necessary and there is limited evidence that they work in these cases anyway. Analgesia +_ iv fluids in very severe cases are the mainstay of treatment

[SleepFreeZone]

I shall be monitoring it closely. Both me and DP get occasional Coldsores so it wouldn't surprise me at all. I'm really concerned our 11 month old will get an outbreak as well 😖

[Badders123]

Well one can only advise from ones own experience of course...
Ds improved within 24 hours of taking the antivirals.

[SleepFreeZone]

He's not complaining that anything is actually hurting in his mouth at the moment. He does keep smacking his lips together which of course will spread it. How on earth do you stop the outbreak from spreading?

[TKRedLemonade]

Don't let him kiss the 1 year old, use his own cup and cutlery etc and sterilise after using, no sharing face cloths etc etc until is has resolved. It very common OP but he will be fine esp if his pain is not severe