Pain or infection

Diagnosing and managing dental pain or infection

Dental pain is usually the principal reason for a child’s unscheduled attendance for dental care. The treatment provided will depend on the diagnosis and child’s ability to cope. Although it is vital that a child’s pain is managed promptly, if a dental extraction is indicated, it is generally in the child’s best interests in the long term to avoid an extraction at the first visit. This is to minimise future anxiety about dental treatment and increase the likelihood that the child will return to complete a planned course of treatment. A personal care plan for the child should be agreed and followed (see Planning care).