Gentle Care and No Waiting
We’ll get you in right away!
Ingrown toenails can be very painful. In addition, if they are not treated early, an infection can set in. Thus, we make sure that patients with ingrown toenails are seen right away. Let our receptionist know that your child may have an ingrown toenail and she will get you in on the same day or, if you cannot make it, the next business day.
Don’t Worry – We’ll Make it Easy for Your Child
We treat hundreds of kids with ingrown toenails every year and we take great pride in our ability to make taking care of an ingrown toenail a nearly painless procedure for our patients—especially kids. If your child’s toe is tender we ensure that the toe will be completely numb before taking care of the nail problem. We even numb up the skin with a cold spray before giving a local anesthetic. The most common statement we hear after taking care of an ingrown toenail is “That was easy – I wish I hadn’t waited so long!”
In addition, we usually only have to remove a very small portion of the nail. Your child’s nail will therefore usually look normal after it has healed.
Treatment
Ingrown toenails usually resolve very quickly after the ingrown portion of the nail is removed. The ingrowing portion of the nail is removed by trimming the nail corner or in some cases removing the edge of the nail back to the cuticle. Usually, a local anesthetic is used to lessen the discomfort.
Does Your Child Need Antibiotics for an Ingrown Toenail?
Antibiotics are usually not necessary and in fact there are studies that show that antibiotics do not decrease healing time or the rate of complications as long as the ingrown portion of the nail is removed properly.* In the conclusion of this article, the authors stated:
“The results of this study suggest that oral antibiotics do not play a role in decreasing healing time or mitigating postoperative morbidity when used as an adjunct to phenol matrixectomies when treating ingrown toenails. We believe this has significant implications for future ingrown toenail treatment protocols. In this era of….emerging antimicrobial resistance, this may be a condition for which antibiotics are not indicated.”
If it can be avoided, it’s best that kids not take antibiotics. The more they take them at an early age the less likely those antibiotics will be effective when they might need them later in life.
We Will See Your Child Right Away for Ingrown Toenails
If your child is suffering from ingrown toenails, don’t wait to get them treated. Treating them can be quick and easy. Call us today for an appointment in our convenient Seattle office—we’ll usually be able to get your child in on the day you call if you are calling on a weekday. Let our receptionist know that this is for a painful or infected ingrown toenails and she will do every possible to get your child in right away.
*Reyzelman, a. et. al. Are Antibiotics Necessary in the Treatment of Locally Infected Ingrown Toenails? Arch Family Medicine, 2000.
