Teething
Sometime between birth and
3, your child will cut about 20 teeth. Exactly when and in which order varies
from child to child. On average, the first tooth appears at around 6 months. I
have known children who were born with teeth and others who did not get one
tooth until they were a year old. Some children get two at a time, first the
bottom front then a week later, the upper front and so on (as is the suggested
schedule). Others get one tooth then nothing for a month or more and some
babies will get one tooth after another for a period of time. Any milestones
for teething have to be very general.
Teeth that are present at
birth (called “natal teeth”) are generally extra teeth and the doctor may
recommend that they be removed. If not,
they should be taken care of and cleaned.
Symptoms
During teething, babies may
not feel good. Some may run a fever and some may lose their appetite. Diarrhea
is not uncommon during teething. You might see increased drooling, swollen gums
and even a rash around the cheek area. Your baby may seem irritable and may be
restless. You might even see the baby pulling on an ear. One problem is that these are all also signs
of other illnesses. It is easy to blame everything on teething but it may not
be. I was guilty of this. My daughter had cut two teeth when she exhibited a
fever and was cranky. I said “teething” but three days later she broke out with
a rash so I took her to the doctor. She had Roseola, a childhood illness like
measles, which was contagious. She did not get any more teeth for another
month.
What to do
It is called “cutting
teeth” because the teeth are literally cutting through the gums. This is often
not a pleasant experience for baby and therefore not a pleasant experience for
anyone who lives with him. There are some things that may help. Chewing on soft things, cold
and massaging the gums may help. Cold, clean (but not frozen) teething rings
may help. Allowing the baby to suck on a cold wet cloth may help for a while.
Massaging the gum with your finger may help but be careful because those teeth
are sharp when they start to poke through.
Remember that tooth decay is caused by bacteria so be sure everything
that goes in the mouth (and that may be everything that goes into baby’s hand)
should be clean.
What not to do
Teething biscuits are NOT
recommended because they stick to the teeth and promote tooth decay. Frozen
teethers could damage your baby’s gums so cold is good, frozen is not. There are a number of numbing gels and
creams that provide some relief but care should be taken when using these and
you should consult your pediatrician regarding the latest guidelines on their
use. There are some concerns about one
of the main ingredients in these gels (benzocaine) so be careful about using
these.
Note that this post follows
the post on care of the teeth. That is because care of the teeth should begin
before the teeth start coming in. Below is a rough timeline of teething courtesy of
Health Link BC.
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