Is your baby teething? Or you know someone whose baby is teething then this blog is for you. Babies are born with 20 milk teeth but they are hidden under the gums. They emerge from there once the teething process starts. Babies start teething around the age of 6 months (this can vary from baby to baby). Generally the first ones to pop out are the lower two front teeth followed by the upper two front teeth.
Babies are irritable and fussy when they are teething as this can be a painful process for them. The teething process can last till the baby turns 3 years old. It consists of 5 stages. This period is hard not just for the babies but also the parents. A little knowledge about teething and what the baby is undergoing can help parents relieve the baby’s pain and make the whole process easier for the baby as well as themselves.
How to identify that your baby has started teething?
Some symptoms and signs that may indicate that your baby has started teething are as follows –
- Sore or tender gums
- Drooling
- Chewing on hard objects
- Unusual irritability and crying.
- Low grade fever
- Diarrhea
It is best to however consult a pediatrician and confirm the same.
How to comfort a teething baby?
As parents it is difficult to watch our babies go through so much pain but help is at hand. You can do some things that will help relieve pain and comfort the baby. This is what you practically can do –
- Massage the gums – You can massage the gums of the baby with your fingers and help soothe the pain. Do it gently and it may help the baby sleep. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before doing it.
- Use a cold washcloth on the baby’s gums – Get a clean washcloth and dip it in water. Squeeze the water out by wringing the washcloth and then put the same in the freezer to cool it down. Don’t let it become too hard. Remove it from the fridge once it is cool and nice and let the baby chew on it. Always do this activity under supervision as there is a choking hazard.
- Teething rings – It is quite common to give babies teething rings during this time. Here we advise you do choose hard plastic ones instead of liquid filled ones as the rings which are filled with liquid can break when the baby is chewing on them. You can also refrigerate the teething toys before giving them to the baby for chewing.
- Freeze and give milk popsicles – Some babies are unable to eat when they are teething. You can give them frozen milk popsicles to suck on.
- If the baby can eat hard foods then you can give a carrot or a cucumber to chew. You can even give hard bite sized fruits like banana, strawberries, apple and pears. You can chill these before giving them to the baby.
- Keep wiping the excess drool or alternatively make the baby wear a bib that will absorb the excess drool. This will also prevent the baby from developing a drool rash. Too much of wetness on skin can develop into a drool rash.
- Give the child their pacifiers when they are irritable or crying. Again the pacifier can be chilled and given to give additional comfort. If you are breastfeeding then the same can also give comfort to the baby.
- Give them a cold refrigerated spoon to suck and chew. Do not freeze the spoon. The coldness of the metal can be comforting for the painful gums.
- Studies have shown there is connection between teeth and toes so give your baby a foot massage gently keeping the focus on the toes.
- Cuddle your baby more as they need more comforting during these trying times.
- You can also try adding white noise machines to the baby’s nursery. Sometimes this is all you need to distract the baby from the pain however this may or may not work for your baby.
- In case the baby is not getting comforted by any of the above you can consult a pediatrician. There are many over the counter pain medications available that can help teething babies. However do not self administer any medicine without consulting your doctor. And preferably avoid medications of any kind unless absolutely required.
- Once teeth emerge, make sure you brush them with a soft bristled brush twice a day. Also wipe the baby’s gums with a clean wet cloth twice a day especially post feeding before sleep.
- Use appropriate amount of toothpaste – no more than a grain of rice till the child can spit on his own and after that pea sized once most of the teeth have emerged.
- Take your baby to a dentist as soon as his/ her first tooth emerges. Regular visits while your child is teething will ensure better oral hygiene and care for the baby and will lay a solid foundation for him to have healthy teeth and gums later in his life.
It is important to say here that all remedies suggested above may not work for your child. Every baby is different so some of these may work better than others. But most of the above are tried and tested methods by parents across the world and we hope they come in handy to help you and your baby go through the baby teething process.
If you have more queries you can always call Ensure Dental Care (the family dentist near you) on 940-274-3229 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Ensure Dental Care is the one of the best family dental clinics at Saginaw Texas. We accept all major insurance providers. We also have in house payment plan. We have a very experienced team of dental practitioners and we look forward to serving you the best of our abilities.
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