Child dental abscess help

[MegCleary]

DD is 8 had her first filling last week, I felt dreadfully guilty poor love was very brave. Last three days she was complaining sore on that side. Gum looked swollen to me so took her back to dentist today. He thinks abscess and removal under sedation. Now I feel UTTERLY shite parent.
We have to go back for an xray tomorrow & then they can tell us more.

I asked if the filling caused the abscess he said no but it can happen with baby teeth.

Is there anything else I can be doing. She may have to wait months if it is an extraction apparently.

Advice greatly appreciated.

Bump

Anyone....

Please

I’m sorry your poor DD is going through this - it’s extremely painful.

My DS has a similar situation but the dentist tried to extract without sedation, which he couldn’t cope with. Apparently the local anaesthetic doesn’t work if there’s an infection present. I ended up having to go to the GP for antibiotics, which did clear up the infection and he had the tooth out eventually with sedation (not pleasant but bearable). We had to wait a long time for the referral though.

I think it’s worth seeing if you can clear up the abscess with antibiotics and hope it doesn’t recur. Meanwhile get on the referral list for sedation.

I felt very guilty too, but all my children (with no fillings) eat the same diet and he is the most vigilant cleaner by far, so I guess there’s a bit of bad luck in there too.

2 things cause abscesses. Trauma and decay. When I was an OOH dentist, seeing children with abscesses was fucking depressing but even on MN, it's verboten to give responsibility to the parents for this.

Do a food diary and a brushing diary and ask your dentist about it. Have a look at this and there you go.

Disclaimer, I don't practise anymore and it's not true that some people have "weak teeth" unless you have been diagnosed with a genetic disorder. Sugar is the answer.

Second disclaimer: GPs know next to nothing about teeth and antibiotics won't clear up an abscess. The same way they won't remove a piece of glass in your hand.

Saline rinse for the infection
Clove oil for the infection and the pain
Bongela for the pain
Plus ibuprofen for pain and inflammation if needs be
Also thorough brushing, obvs

Dentist said no antibiotics required.
Have been doing as dentist advised brushing 30 mins after eating. Not possible at school so lots of water after. I am aware the snacking/ exposure an issue.
Is it possible that the abscess is as a result of the filling? Is it possible that the abscess, if it is one, may not result in extraction being required?

Thanks for the replies, and MrsMorton mumsnet dental royalty!

Another dentist here-

No the abscess wasn't caused by the filling but I think sometimes it can speed up the process. Milk teeth rot very fast and the first molars abscess very easily in particular. The fact that you're worried about it makes you not a shite mum! Agree though, it's sugar and sometimes not brushing well/often enough. Do a diet diary, I've received 1 back for every 100 I've asked for. It does help

My son had an abscess, he was given antibiotics by the dentist to try first but it didn't clear up. And he got the tooth removed a week later. Felt utterly terrible. Dentist said her daughter, had, had the same and it was pretty common with milk teeth. He had it removed at the dentist, just had an injection to numb the area. He's also 8! She said the way his teeth are there is a gap and food can easily get stuck in it, so without very regular flossing there's nothing that could have prevented it.

Hope your daughter is ok.

My twins, fed precisely the same food and brushing routine , have very different dental history.. one no fillings and one has fillings and dentist puts that coating on. Interestingly it's the twin who was weaker in the womb (weak heartbeat and poor growth) who has the poor teeth-the dentist said his problems could certainly stem from an inherent weakness that started in the womb.

Well she’s on the waiting list for extraction with sedation .

My fucking shit parenting has led to my child needing a general anaesthetic.

I went back to the dentist after I took her back to school and they have said they would look at a food diary if I keep one for a week and would do her a lesson on teeth brushing.

Sedation is not a general aneastethic OP, it is still local and is normally with laughing gas on children that age. Don't worry

Keep a diet diary, be really really honest with it too, everything she eats/drinks and at 8 I would make sure you are brushing for her, or at least after her before bed. She's probably not good enough at doing it herself yet. Is she using adult toothpaste?

defineme it's much much more likely that one of your twins brushes worse than the other. If there was hypomineralised enamel the dentist would know. There will also be variation in how your DC eat, e.g. eating or drinking slower/faster, one having more drinks. There's no way you can say they eat the exactly same and brush the same.

If children are getting fillings, especially more than one they are eating too much sugar/too frequent sugar and probably not brushing well enough.

We were/are brushing her teeth at least once a day she did the other time. Our dentist said to do it till they were 10 so that’s the plan.

I had an abscess as the result of trauma (horrific bike crash!) and I really feel for your daughter. While she awaits her extraction, sugar free ice lollies might help with the pain of the infection. I survived on some own brand sugar free calipos until I had it lanced. Poor wee mite. Might not help but thought I'd mention it!

Thank you, it was sore tues, wed but she says it’s a lot better now.

The lump on her gum has lessened and now she has for the first time complained of a sore tummy before school. She loves school. So not avoiding I think. Temperature normal if a bit low 35.6. How high is the risk of sepsis with an abscess awaiting treatment? Freaking myself out now.