I’m worried about my daughter but my pediatric dentist won’t see her during the quarantine. She’s had a loose tooth bothering her and now she has a fever. I called in but they said a tooth infection doesn’t have a fever. Is that true? Do I really have nothing to worry about?
Mandy
Dear Mandy,
I’m hoping there is some sort of miscommunication here. Maybe what your pediatric dentist said is that a tooth infection doesn’t usually have a fever. However, any infection can cause a fever. Before you panic, that doesn’t mean your daughter does have an tooth infection.
My guess is you are very diligent with her dental care. Unless there was a cavity they were watching at her last checkup, there likely isn’t one now that has progressed far enough to become an infection. It’s likely she’s fighting something else off right now. You mentioned the tooth is loose and bothering her. Sometimes loose teeth can be painful themselves.
Because of COVID-19, they’re asking us to stay quarantined and only treat essential cases. I’m sure this is making you nervous because it feels like you don’t have access to the care you need for your daughter. You’re a caring mother and want the best for her. Here’s my recommendation.
Keep an eye on her. If the pain in her tooth gets worse, pull it. It’s loose and should come out without too much problem. If there is an infection there, pulling the tooth will take care of it.
If you do that and she’s still in pain a couple of days after you pulled the baby tooth, you can call the dentist back and tell him you want to come in for an emergency dental appointment. It shouldn’t still be hurting a couple of days after it is removed.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.
