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Any dentists around?

4 replies

Teethtroubl · 12/01/2026 19:21

DD lost her bottom 2 front teeth within a few weeks of each other in December (she’s 6.5).

Shortly after she started grumbling about her mouth hurting. When I asked where, she pointed to the empty gum behind her last back molar (presumably the place her 11 year old molar will come in - she already has her 6 year old ones).

This has dragged on for a week or two now, she often wakes at night complaining about it but goes back to sleep quickly after Calpol. I took her to the dentist today who could only see a small amount of food debris but no cause for the pain as such - he was very thorough and did an xray and nothing showed up.

I don’t know what to do from here or why it’s hurting. From experience the GP doesn’t really deal with mouths and often refers back to the dentist. Should I just ride it out with the Calpol for a couple of weeks then dentist again? Has anyone else had this?

Thanks.

OP posts:
Lollygaggle · 12/01/2026 19:30

Are you brushing around the teeth , particularly after she has and particularly at night ? Try a really concentrating around back teeth as they haven’t dexterity until 8 or 9 .to do a good job .

Teethtroubl · 12/01/2026 19:36

Lollygaggle · 12/01/2026 19:30

Are you brushing around the teeth , particularly after she has and particularly at night ? Try a really concentrating around back teeth as they haven’t dexterity until 8 or 9 .to do a good job .

We always brush her teeth. She’s only 6. There is a flap of gum still pushed up from her first molar coming through but the pain seems to be coming from the flat bit of gum behind it.

OP posts:
Lollygaggle · 12/01/2026 19:39

My bet would be food packing underneath the flap of gum (operculum) . Make sure to get the bristles of the brush underneath and down towards back of tooth, it may well bleed but ignore that.

Sometimes the flap swells up a bit and combined with trauma from biting on the tooth above it can get a bit sore back there . It can be difficult for a child to accurately locate where pain is .

I would expect pain to settle in a few days as flap of gum shrinks down.

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Teethtroubl · 12/01/2026 19:42

Thank you @Lollygaggle i will give it a go.

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