Molars and ear infections?

[LoveBWVVBR]

My DD 15 months has her first ear infection. It is on the same side that her first molar just came through on. My mother is convinced that one is related to the other. I'm not completely convinced. Has anyone else found this to be the case? If it sounds likely, I'll have my chiropractor work on keeping her estucian (sp?) tubes open when the other molars break through shortly to hopefully avoid another infection.

 

[mickeyboat]

I do not believe there is any link between ear infections and molars coming in. Has your daughter had a cold recently?

Denae

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Yes, she had a cold 3 weeks ago. I took her to her Dr. because she also had a fever, and her ears were just fine then. The molar broke through after the cold, and then the ear infection came shortly after the molar arrived (same side). I guess I could believe that the molar somehow caused DD's ear to block up and then an infection brewed, but I'd like to know if this is a common or likely scenario.

 

[Amlee]

It never failed with my nephew. When he was cutting his teeth, he always got a sinus infectiong and a ear ache.

Even now when I get a real bad ear ache, I hurt in my lower jaw, gums and back teeth.

 

[milwaukee1]

I'm not sure if it was an actual infection or not, but my sister had an earache and - sorry, alittle gross - greenish earwax. It turned out she needed to have her wisdom teeth pulled. I have been told by a few people that your teeth can affect your ears.

 

[Val]

There is a correlation, but not CAUSATION....that is, when kids are teething they tend to put more things in their mouths, so more germs. Sometimes, because of the extra saliva, etc., produced, the eustacian tubes become partially blocked and an infection can develop.... the ear infection wasn't caused by the teething, but the teething can set conditions for an ear infection- still, conditions have to be "just right" for an infection to occur. Does that help?

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

There is a correlation, but not CAUSATION....that is, when kids are teething they tend to put more things in their mouths, so more germs. Sometimes, because of the extra saliva, etc., produced, the eustacian tubes become partially blocked and an infection can develop.... the ear infection wasn't caused by the teething, but the teething can set conditions for an ear infection- still, conditions have to be "just right" for an infection to occur. Does that help?

Yes, that makes perfect sense. My DD doesn't really drool, but she gags and chokes on the excess saliva constantly. I can totally see how extra saliva could have partially blocked the tubes and set the stage for an infection. We're worried now because she's pulling on BOTH ears, although she is still on the antibiotic. It looks like the molar on the other side is about to break through. I'm going to call her ped. to have her rechecked asap to see if she now has an infection in the other ear also I'm also taking her to my chiropractor to have him do what he does to unblock the eustacian tubes so this doesn't happen to DD again.