Teething 411

It has to happen, we can’t stop it. Eventually every parent has to say goodbye to those toothless smiles and giggles and move into the journey of adorable little baby teeth. On average this will happen between 6-8 months of age.

If you ask a paediatrician what the signs and symptoms of teething are, they will likely tell you that your baby’s gums will be sore. However if you ask a dentist they will give you a much different answer. Describing many more symptoms like red cheeks, stuffy nose, diaper rash, slight fever, red inflamed gums, waking up through the night, and irritability.

So who’s right? Well I say let’s ask the parents. Of course every baby is different, so it makes sense that how teething effects one child may be very different for how it will affect another child. However most parents would agree with the dentist, saying when there little ones started teething they suffered most or all of the symptoms of teething.

Signs and Symptoms of Teething – your baby may get all of none of these

·         Increased mucus production, causing stuffy nose

·         Red cheeks

·         Diaper rash, it can range from mild to severe. Also may seem like you can’t get rid of it

·         Red gums

·         Swollen guns

·         Gums may bleed a little when tooth is breaking through gun

·         Waking up at night

·         Increased drool

·         Wants to chew on EVERYTHING

·         Irritability

·         Slight fever (a high fever signals a different problem and is not caused by teething, consult a doctor)

What you can do to help

·         Teething gel is safe, but often over used.

·         Motrin is great it works for fever, inflammation of the gums, and is a pain reliever. Also it lasts for 8 hours.

·         Try giving cold or frozen teething rings, frozen carrot works great, or wet a wash cloth and freeze that for baby to chew. The cold will feel great on their little gums.

·         Try an Amber teething Necklace.

Common Questions and Concerns

Grinding Teeth – this is fairly common and you should not worry. This is likely to relieve pain, or is new to baby and they like the sound.

Brushing Teeth – You can start brushing gums before teeth come in, this will help baby be used to it. If you want to wait until the first tooth comes in that’s fine. You should use a baby toothbrush, and brush them in the morning and at night.

Nursing – You should be able to continue nursing if baby starts biting, take them from the breast. Usually biting means they are irritated and trying to relieve pain so give some Motrin.

Teething is just one more hurdle we must get over with our little ones. Pay close attention and try to make them as comfortable as possible, if you yourself have had a toothache you can sympathize with how your baby must be feeling.