3 Step Guide For Relieving Your Toddler’s Eruption Cysts At Home

While your toddler is teething, you may notice a purplish bump on the gum where their tooth is coming in. If so, you may be alarmed; however, this eruption cyst is common and typically does not need professional attention, although it can cause pain and discomfort for your child. Use the three-step guide below to help relieve your little one's symptoms.

Step 1:  Clean The Area With Plain Water

The first thing you want to keep the area on and around the cyst clean. Do this by using plain, cool water. While you may be tempted to use toothpaste, the ingredients could irritate your child's sensitive gum tissue. 

Do not use a toothbrush to clean the area, as the bristles could scrape the cyst, breaking it open and exposing it to bacteria that could cause an infection. Instead, saturate the tip of a cotton swab and gently rub the area. If there are any food particles stuck to the gum, moisten them with the water and wait a couple of minutes. Then, carefully wipe them away with the swab.

Step 2:  Apply Salt Water On And Around The Cyst

Once you have cleaned your child's gum with plain water, the next step is to apply salt water on and around the cyst. Salt has been shown to be an effective antimicrobial agent, killing germs that could cause the cyst to become infected. Salt is also an anti-inflammatory that helps reduce the swelling of your child's gum tissue.

To make the salt water, wash your hands thoroughly with an antibacterial soap, rinsing thoroughly. Then, add a tablespoon of cool water and a teaspoon of salt into the palm of your hand. Use the end of a cotton swab to thoroughly mix the two ingredients.

To apply the salt water, saturate the clean end of the cotton swab and gently apply it to your child's cyst. Also, apply the water to the gum area directly around it. If your child has more than one cyst, use a clean cotton swab for each one.

After applying the salt water, keep your child from eating or drinking anything for a few minutes. This gives the solution time to kill any germs around the cyst. 

Step 3:  Give Your Child A Cold Teething Ring Soaked In Water And Peppermint Oil

After the cyst has been thoroughly cleaned and the salt water has been applied, the next step is to give your child a teething ring soaked in a solution of cold water and peppermint oil. The peppermint oil acts as a numbing agent that helps decrease your child's pain and discomfort.

In a small plastic tub that is large enough to submerge the ring, mix together a quarter cup of cold water and five drops of peppermint oil. Mix the ingredients together completely. Place the teething ring in the liquid, and place the container in the refrigerator.

Do not use a frozen teething ring, as the extreme cold could burn your child's sensitive tissue. Freezing the ring also makes it hard, potentially causing the cyst to rupture when your toddler bites down on it.

After two hours, remove the teething ring and give it to your child, encouraging them to gently bite down on it. Allow your toddler to use it until it warms up, then place it back in the refrigerator. You may want to have two rings so you can change them out. Change the solution daily to keep it fresh.

Using the above three-step home remedy every eight hours can help alleviate your toddler's discomfort while the tooth comes in and the cyst heals. However, if the cyst becomes larger, starts seeping greenish discharge or your child starts running a fever, you may want to speak with your pediatric dentist to find out your next course of action. Contact a company like Cobbe Dental & Orthodontics for more information.


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