5 Signs Your Child Might Have An Impacted Tooth
When a tooth fails to properly break through the gums, it is referred to as 'impacted'. This is something many people associate with wisdom teeth, which tend to come through in early adulthood, but children can also suffer from impacted teeth as their permanent teeth come through.
There are several reasons why this might happen, and the issue can be painful. Your dentist can perform an examination and take some x-rays to check if a tooth is impacted and assess treatment options, but it often helps to learn the common signs a child might have an impacted tooth so you can take them to the dentist as soon as possible.
With that in mind, here are just five common signs your child might have an impacted tooth.
1. Toothache While Chewing
Impacted teeth do not always produce pain, but your child may experience discomfort when teeth are forced out of their normal position. In some cases, pressure can cause irritation when the gums are pushed against a partially emerged tooth. Such pain is most likely when your child is eating. If they seem to be suffering discomfort or are favouring one side of their mouth, an impacted tooth might be to blame.
2. Crowded Teeth
When teeth are crowded, new teeth will have trouble coming through. Crowding can then become worse as impacted teeth push others out of alignment, so you should be concerned if your child's teeth appear crowded together, especially if teeth near a gap that has not yet been filled are flaring out instead of coming out straight.
3. Bad Breath or Taste
One issue with teeth that don't emerge properly due to crowding is that food particles can become trapped between the crowded teeth. When food particles start to fester, you may notice that your child starts getting bad breath. Since festering food particles will also produce a bad taste, your child may start complaining that they have a bad taste in their mouth or that food tastes different.
4. Widespread Pain
As noted above, an impacted tooth will not always cause toothache. However, your child may experience headaches or facial pain. If your child frequently complains of headaches or mouth aches, it might be worth taking them to the dentist since such pain can often be caused by issues with emerging teeth.
5. Swollen or Irritated Gums
If food or plaque gets stuck around your child's gums as a result of an impacted tooth, an infection may develop. If your child gets a fever, it might be worth checking their mouth. If you notice that their gums are swollen or red around a certain area, you should take them to the dentist to have the issue checked.
Contact your dentist for more information.
