My child is complaining of sensitivity to sweets or hot and cold temperatures. Does this mean anything?
Often, yes. Occasionally, no. Sensitivity to sweets in children (and adults) can mean that there is a cavity lurking. The presence of sugar in the sweets will cause a chemical reaction within a decaying tooth. This reaction causes that “twinging nerve pain” or sensitivity, which may or may not linger for a little while after the sweet treat. It is best to take your child to the dentist and let them examine the tooth and take an x-ray if needed to see if a cavity is causing the sensation.
Sensitivity to hot or cold in a child’s tooth (baby teeth or permanent teeth) can be of concern. A cavity can also cause sensitivity to hot and cold, however if it is, this is usually a sign that the cavity is already large. This can also be a sign of the nerve dying and/or and abscess of a tooth. Again, the appropriate treatment would be to see your dentist immediately and let them take an x-ray if needed. If an x-ray is taken and other tests done confirm that the nerve is dying or that an abscess is present, your dentist will discuss options with you.
Options for treatment of cavities or abscesses (dead/dying nerve) may include procedures such as extraction (with or without a space maintainer to hold the space open for the future permanent tooth), baby tooth root canal, filling or stainless steel crown. The decision for treatment options is made based on the amount of damage/decay in the baby tooth, the length of time until it would normally fall out and position of the underlying permanent tooth. Of course, we want to do our best to try to save baby teeth, particularly if it will help the child avoid braces in the future. But all of these things must be taken into consideration in order to make the best decision for the child.
Occasionally in children, but most often in adults, this sensitivity can be caused by an area where the gum has receded away from the tooth. You don’t see this too often with children, simply because the baby teeth are actively changing form each day, and they don’t have the sensitive roots that adult teeth have. It is quite uncommon for gums to recede in children or even in teenagers (unless they have braces). So, the bad news is that it is likely a cavity causing the pain.
These sensations can also be normal and transient. Your dentist will likely use a combination of diagnostic procedures to evaluate the offending tooth. If nothing obvious can be found that explains the source of the pain, they may opt to “watch” the tooth. What this means is, they will ask for your help in monitoring your child’s symptoms at home and call if things change (for better or for worse). Either way, your dentist may decide to take a new x-ray in a few weeks to see if there are any changes.
Teeth are strange in that sometimes they give symptoms disproportionate to their experienced “trauma.” For example, when eating a chip or popcorn or some crunchy food item, occasionally a piece may break off and get lodged beneath the gum without you or your child even noticing. The area may then become tender and feel like a toothache, hot and cold sensitive or become painful on chewing. A trip to the dentist may show nothing and then the sensitivity goes away in a few weeks.
A tooth can also be traumatized by biting into something hard which can cause the ligament which holds the tooth in to be “bruised.” This may cause biting sensitivity for a week or two which may also go away on its own. There are many examples of these situations but most commonly, symptoms are actually due to the presence of a cavity or an abscess. So, always have your dentist check the area rather than assuming there is nothing really wrong.
Tags: Abscess, Abscesses, Baby Teeth, Baby Tooth, Cavities, Cavity, Chemical Reaction, Child Dentist, Cold Temperatures, Length Of Time, Nerve Pain, Permanent Teeth, Permanent Tooth, Root Canal Filling, Stainless Steel Crown, Sweet Treat, Sweets, Tooth Root, Treatment Options, X Ray