Treating The Source Of Your Child’s Toothache

Posted January 29, 2026

If your little one is complaining about a toothache, this could be due to the winter chill in the air, but if the pain persists this may indicate a cavity or infection. Treatment is then needed to help prevent the risk of tooth loss. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist talks about treating the source of your child’s toothache.

The Common Causes of a Toothache

What causes a toothache to form in your child’s smile? For some, this could be due to the winter chill in the air, while others may develop them due to allergy or sinus concerns, even due to a cold. Pain could also indicate changes in elevation, such as visiting a more mountainous region or riding in an airplane. But! These factors only cause short lived aches, which pass after a few hours. If your little one complains about a toothache that lasts for more than a day or two, this could indicate a serious case of tooth decay, one that could even become an infection with a little more time. You should bring your child in for a diagnosis, so we can see what treatment is needed to stop the discomfort and protect little smiles from complications, like infection or even premature tooth loss!

Dental Fillings

When your child sits down for an exam, we will take time to ensure your little one feels comfortable and relaxed, and we will discuss each tool we use and what is happening throughout the process, happily answering their questions. We will examine the tooth with digital x-rays, using 90% less radiation, and obtaining an image of the interior, so we can assess the strength and extent of the cavity. Even baby teeth need treatment because they could fall out months or even years after the decay forms, and premature tooth loss could lead to a greater risk of eventual misalignment and the need for orthodontics down the road.

Our team will then clean the tooth if we find a cavity, and numb it so your child is cozy while we remove decay. We then place the filling material, a biocompatible and safe composite resin, which bonds with the tooth and for a more lifelike appearance than metal options. Our team will sculpt and mold the tooth to ensure proper bite balance as the composite resin cures under a light. The last step is to polish the tooth for an attractive appearance!

Dental Crowns

If your child has a more severe case of tooth decay, then a filling may not be enough. Instead, we may need to cap the tooth with a full restoration known as a dental crown. The restoration could be made from strong and durable stainless steel, or we could use a more lifelike option made from NuSmile zirconia. We will again numb the tooth to ensure your child’s comfort, and we then remove structure from the tooth to accommodate the crown. Our team will then attach the finished restoration with a powerful bonding agent, so it can remain strong and in place for years to come.

Pulpotomies

What if a tooth has become infected? Treatment is crucial, otherwise the infection could reach a state in which we need to extract the tooth to prevent the spread of infection. Instead of a traditional root canal, like is offered for adults, we have a more conservative option known as a pulpotomy. With this option, after we numb the tooth and provide sedation, we gently open it to access the infected tissues within. We then remove the infected portions, leaving the orthodontics intact, and apply a special mediated filling. For some, this completes the process. If the decay and infection are more substantial, we may need to cap the tooth with a dental crown.

Ensuring Your Child’s Comfort

We’ve mentioned your child’s comfort, but how do we ensure this during treatment? We can often numb the area direly where treatment is taking place using a local anesthesia. But we also have sedation, including nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, and even IV sedation, and will choose the right option for your little one. A trained anesthesiologist is always on hand, and our team members are trained and certified as well.

If you have any questions about how we treat issues that cause a toothache, or if your little one complains about an aching tooth, then reach out to our team today!

PDC Kids Provides Treatment for Tooth Decay and Infection

Our team can provide solutions for aching teeth and even pain caused by infections. To find out more about stopping pain in your little one’s smile, call Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX, today at (214) 321-4880.