The process of teething is natural for newborns and should not be a cause for concern for parents; yet, the teething stage can be a trying time for parents, particularly those experiencing it for the first child. However, there is little or no need for concern because I have included below a number of helpful suggestions that you may utilize to assist your child during this trying time. But before we get into that, let’s first examine the phenomenon of teething.

What Is Teething?

Teething takes place when your child’s teeth begin to manifest through their gum line. Another term for teething is odontiasis.

At What Age Do Babies Start Teething?

Most infants start to have teeth between 4 and 7 months old, but sometimes, teething start much later. There is no reason to be concerned if your baby’s teeth appear a little bit later than the typical time frame because the timing of tooth eruption might vary from child to child.

Signs And Symptoms of Teething

The signs aren’t always the same for every child, but they mostly include:

  • Swollen, tender gums
  • Fussiness and crying
  • A slightly raised temperature
  • Gnawing or the desire to munch on hard things
  • Lots of drool, which can result in a rash on their face
  • Coughing
  • Rubbing their cheek or pulling their ear
  • Putting their hands in their mouth
  • Changes in eating or sleeping habits

Teething can be very unbearable to babies, but they don’t usually get sick because of teething. Contact your doctor if your child has diarrhea, vomiting, rashes on the body, a higher fever, or cough and congestion while teething. These ailments mentioned above aren’t symptoms of teething. You need to contact your pediatrician if your child’s gums are bleeding or if you notice any pus or swelling on their face.

Process Of Teething

When and how teeth emerge in a child’s mouth differs for every baby. But mostly, the lower front two teeth are usually the first set of teeth to emerge, accompanied by the upper top two teeth and the two on either side of the upper and the lower teeth. The two teeth that are located on either side of the bottom front teeth are the next set of teeth to emerge. Following that, the first molars will become visible. The teeth that are located in front of the first molars are the ones that erupt next, and the back molars are the ones that erupt very last. In all, 20 “baby teeth” will eventually emerge in the child’s mouth, latest, by age 3.

Useful Tips to Help Your Children During This Stressful Period

  1. During the teething period, many parents, most especially first-time parents, will begin to look for a different method to ease their wards off the stress of teething, and the method that works for a friends’ children might not be the best option for you. Below are useful tips you can try to help ease your baby off stress during teething:
  2. Put something cold in your child’s mouth, like a cold sucker, spoon, clean wet cloth, or a solid refrigerated teething toy or ring.
  3. Ensure that the baby teething toys are neat and clean and the other objects you use to ease your child off the stress of teething.
  4. You can also give your child a hard, unsweetened teething cracker during the teething period. And peradventure your child is older than 6-9 months, you can also give your child cool water from a clean plastic cup.
  5. You can also help your child ease off stress by rubbing your clean fingers gently on the child’s gum. If the teeth haven’t fully emerged yet, you can let your baby munch on your clean finger. If you’re nursing your baby, try putting your fingers in cold water while massaging their gums before each feeding. That may prevent them from munching on your nipple while feeding.

Tips That Are Not Advisable

Never insert objects that are not specifically allowed to ease teething in your baby’s mouth. Even some products known as teethers or teething aids are not safe options, and it includes products that:

  • Contains liquid that can tear and spill
  • Produce out of breakable material, like plastic that can cause choking
  • That is frozen solid — these can be too hard on a baby’s mouth
  • Always take notice of the material used to produce the teethers. Some can be produced from dangerous components, like lead. Source for ones produced out of rubber.

During your child’s teething period, everything can be so frustrating, most especially as a first-time parent, as you can go to any length to ensure that your children are comfortable and not in pain, but by following these useful tips stated above, you can help your child ease off stress during the teething period. 

Another reliable way to ease your ward off the stress during teething is to book an appointment with your pediatric dentist, as qualified teeth practitioners will attend to every one of your questions and treatment.

SHARE THIS POST