Posted by writeradmin
I tried to schedule an emergency appointment for my daughter with her pediatric dentist because she has a fever and says her tooth hurts, which tells me she may have a tooth infection. The office pretty much laughed at me and said that a tooth infection does not cause a fever. Is this true? I was under the impression it could. My mother said the two things my daughter is complaining about were always a signal to her that I had an infected tooth, and I had several of them growing up.
Margie
Dear Margie,
I am hoping there is some miscommunication here. Yes, you are correct that a tooth infection can cause a fever, in fact any infection can. It is a way for your body to send in the defenses. As they are not taking you seriously, you may want to see if you can get her in somwhere else. It may not be a dental emergency, but it always best to get tooth pain checked out.
The sooner something is caught the less invasive the treatment solution will be. When left untreated, a simple cavity can turn into dental emergencies. Those type of experiences can sour a child on going to the dentist for the remainder of his or her life. Given your history with tooth infections I say look for another dentist sooner rather than later.
It does not have to be a pediatric dentist. It can also be a general dentist who is good with children. They have the training. Some will advertise themselves as a family dentist. Which brings up another issue. There are benefits to your entire family seeing the same dentist. For one, they will know your dental history and that will give them some clues as to what to look out for in your children’s care. Genetics plays a huge part in dental health.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.