Speech delayed DD in pain

[funnyhoneybunny]

Hi all,

My DD 3yo has a speech delay (maybe on the spectrum) so can’t communicate unless she’s saying random words here and there. She keeps putting her hands to her mouth and saying “ow hurt”

I’ve already taker her to the dentist who said there’s some tooth decay and filled the tooth. She was also prescribed antibiotics which we completed the course for.

After the 3rd day, I expected there would be no/less pain but due to her occasionally but daily indicating there’s pain, I booked with the dentist again. We saw her on the 6th day of starting the antibiotics and she couldn’t see what the issue was causing DD pain. She seemed stumped and asked could it just be DD saying it because she feels like it. I adamantly said no because she does it at the randomest times so I do think there a genuine element of pain.

what else is there to do? Dentist openly said she doesn’t know what more she can do and just to keep an eye on it. It’s been 3 days since the last visit and she’s doing the same thing from time to time. I feel terrible for DD.

Can anyone share thoughts on what else I can do? I was giving Calpol alongside the antibiotics but have stopped this. Can’t keep giving Calpol forever!

Please help!

Thank you.

Could it be her now processing what has happened and trying to communicate with you about it. My son is autistic and when he was younger he used to do this, also he would sometimes use a prior hurt to indicate that he wanted a cuddle because that was what had happened said those words previously.

It may be that she isn't actually in pain anymore. Maybe carry on not giving her Calpol and see if she becomes more distressed rather than saying 'ow', if she is actually in pain she will likely be more emotional and irritable without it. Also DS quite likes the taste of Calpol and will sometimes say he has a headache just to get medicine, it becomes a habit then, so I offer distraction or water/snack and generally he forgets about it if it isn't a true headache.

Bump

Could it be a different pain to the dental pain?
sore throat for example?
Id get her checked by the gp

Does she seem upset/crying when she says 'ow hurt'? If not I'd say she's trying to talk about the experience of the dentist and having antibiotics with you but hasn't got the words. Next time she says it I'd just say ' yes you had a sore tooth didn't you? But the dentist fixed it and you had medicine too. You were such a good girl when we visited the dentist' etc.

Hey @Choconuttolata thanks for your message. I genuinely don’t think that’s the case. As I said, it will be very random. It’s also happened after certain foods such as pineapple. We’ve completely cut out refined sugars/foods but she just found a sugar waffle and took a bite before I could say anything. She immediately touched her cheek and said ow. I’m stumped and feel so helpless :(

Not sure @Beautifulsunflowers she very much keeps touching her jaws in the same spot where it was filled

Could she have sensitive teeth? My DS sometimes says it hurts just to drink cold water. We use prescription toothpaste. Did the dentist mention anything about the enamel? Does she have white spots on her teeth?

Also fillings feel weird. I always used to play with mine with my tongue. Could it be that she’s not sure about the new sensation?

I’d be inclined to carry on with the calpol a bit longer. Maybe just at bedtime as a way to limit it.

Could she be having reflux? It might also explain the tooth decay.
My daughter has reflux and when it is uncontrolled she says "it hurts" but often can't explain more than that even without a speech delay or query ND. I think pain is an odd thing to try to describe to another person especially as it's often not where you feel it even with NT adults!

@christmascalypso she seems mildly distressed. It’s hard to gauge the pain as she constantly has bumps and falls but never reacts badly to it. It seems she has a higher pain tolerance level - but not so much for this godforsaken pain.

it’s annoying that the dentist couldn’t help any further

Children often don’t get pain in baby teeth, so I think it’s probably related to some other pain if there’s no obvious sign of infection in the gum.

@Rosiiee I did think it could be. Her nursery teacher said she touched her jaw when they had cold milk. But it’s both jaws (alternating every so often) coupled with an “ow/hurting”. This suggest that it’s more severe than sensitivity.

Dentist mentioned it could be sensitivity but didn’t say anything about her teeth in that regard or prescription toothpaste.

@Superscientist I feel that if it was reflux, she’d be more inclined to indicate near her throat? I do get what you’re saying regarding being unable to convey type of pain though!

@FacingTheWall oh really? This worries me more bcs my poor baby can’t communicate what the actual problem is 😣

The nerves inside baby teeth are very large and if you can see decay in a baby tooth there is a good chance that the decay is already very near or in the nerve.

pain on eating sweet or cold things means you should go back to the dentist. The bad news is if the nerve is dying off then the tooth may well need to come out , which will mean a general anaesthetic with possibly a long waiting time . They may well have decay in other teeth .

It is difficult to see well inside a three year olds mouth let alone fill a tooth so I would not be surprised if there is still a problem up there or in several places . Because of waiting lists you need to go back to dentist and get a referral to community service for possible extraction of this tooth.

The most important thing is to radically change what they are eating and drinking. If you have anything with sugar in it more than three times a day you will get decay. That's not just sweets but dried fruit like raisins, smoothies , granola bars , yoghurts etc as well as starchy foods like crisps. What they eat at meal times doesn't matter it's what they eat and drink inbetween that's important. Equally no eating or drinking anything other than water just before bed or at night even if they brush afterwards.

Use an adult toothpaste with fluoride. and brush their teeth for them until they are about 8.

What about an ear infection? Maybe worth a trip to GP?

My daughter never ever says throat! Tummy, bottom, chest, - all over really! Some times mouth - She also has a cavity in one of her molars. I'm surprised they have filled your daughters to be honest. I have been told that my daughters cavity won't be filled as she is under 5. Her private dentist said to watch and wait and do a cap if it gets worse. Her NHS dentist said we can't get the cap as she's under 5. We are on a watch and wait with the NHS dentist and then will go private if she needs a cap (s) - 2 other molars have acid damage and are more susceptible to cavities.

Sinus pain can often be felt in the teeth. But you know her and I get the sense you deffo think it's tooth related, and I'd go with your gut.

I'd try some sensitive toothpaste for sure. You can just smear it on to get immediate relief.

Also, could she be teething? I mean, I'm guessing the dentist checked that, but worth considering. Would she chew on a warm flannel?

Children should not be using a sensitive toothpaste , they are designed for over 12 years old so not suitable for a three year old.

Children do not suffer from sensitive teeth as such , it's normally decay , erosion or trauma which needs to be treated that causes painful teeth. https://www.sensodyne.com/en-us/frequently-asked-questions/#:~:text=Can%20kids%20use%20Sensodyne%20toothpaste,for%20appropriate%20advice%20and%20recommendation.

Sensodyne has a children's version
Our dentist has told us to ignore the age suggestions but I wouldn't recommend this without a discussion with a dentist first.

The children's version is proenamel, to stop decay and acid erosion, it does not contain any of the antisensivity ingredients. It is not for sensitivity. If you read link above even sensodyne do not recommend sensitive toothpaste below age of 12.

Could it be her ears? My DD has what we thought was tooth ache but it was in her ears. If she is on a spectrum and has something happening in the ear it may well be highlighted when eating. It might be worth a check with a GP

Ours is one of the proenamel range but our dentist didn't make that distinction and said the age limits are about marketing and nothing to do with products and I should ignore them. Obviously the dentist in question would have been assessing my daughter and her risk factors as a whole and everyone should get advice from a dentist

When did you take her for the filling? I once had a filling which must have touched something sensitive as it hurt for a few weeks afterwards, before settling down. It wasn't an acute pain, but I knew about it when chewing. Could it be something like this?