Information About Teething All Parents Should Know

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When Does a Baby Start Teething?

A baby’s first tooth may appear as soon as 4 to 10 months of age. However, the tooth may not erupt until around 6 months of age. Your baby may experience symptoms of teething in the days leading up to the first tooth showing.

The signs and symptoms of teething:

The signs and symptoms of your baby about to start teething to watch for are:

∙ Irritability. Your baby may start to be a little more fussy than usual.

∙ Tender and swollen gums. Before the tooth starts to appear the gum becomes tender and swollen which will cause the baby to be fussy.

∙ Wanting to place objects or fingers into their mouth. If you see your baby trying to put objects or their fingers in their mouth, they are starting to teeth.

∙ Restless and sometimes decreased sleep. Teething is a painful experience for a baby and because of this, they may start to have trouble sleeping.

∙ Refusing food. If you notice your baby starting to refuse food, offer them a cold teething ring for a little bit, then try again. Their gums may be sore from the teething process.

∙ Mild rash around the mouth caused by skin irritation. Excessive drooling can sometimes cause skin irritation and even a rash around your baby’s mouth.

Ways to help relieve the pain of a teething baby:

∙ The use of pain relievers such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen

∙ Massage your baby’s gums with a clean finger or back of a small spoon

∙ Allow your baby to bite down on a chilled teething ring

∙ Allow your baby to suck on a cold, wet cloth. Just make sure you replace with a clean cloth often

Topical medications containing benzocaine may cause serious and potentially lethal side effects and should not be used.

Order in which teeth erupt in infants:

Below is a timeline of the general order an infant’s teeth will start to erupt.

∙ Central incisors: The central incisors generally start to erupt around 6-12 months of age

∙ Lateral incisors: Lateral incisors will start to erupt around 9-16 months of age

∙ Canine teeth: Canine teeth can be seen starting to erupt around 16-23 months of age

∙ First molars: The first molars (sometimes most painful) generally start to erupt around while the lateral incisors and canine are also starting to erupt. 13-19 months of age

When to call the dentist or pediatrician;

Call the dentist or pediatrician when your baby is experiencing added discomfort. If you are having a hard time trying to soothe your baby, there may be another underlying issue going on. When your baby is teething they become fussy, it is easy to mistake your baby’s fussiness for teething. Pay close attention to how your baby is acting. If your baby starts showing the symptoms listed below and you start to become concerned, take your baby to the doctor or dentist. They will be able to properly diagnose and treat your little one.

Symptoms NOT associated with teething:

∙ Fever

∙ Diarrhea

∙ Runny nose

∙ Cough

∙ Prolonged fussiness

∙ Rashes over the body

Family-Friendly Dentist

When you are ready to take your little one to the dentist, contact North Coast Dental Excellence because we care about your family’s teeth.