“Ow! Was that a bite?” Yes it’s your child’s first tooth showing up. Every child experiences teething differently, some have no symptoms at all, while others may experience teething pains for months.
When do babies start teething?
Teething symptoms can precede the actual appearance of a tooth by as much as two or three months.
Wondering what could be the order of the eruptions of teeth in your child’s mouth?
The most common first teeth are the two in the bottom center of the mouth, followed by the two in the top center. Then the pattern typically goes outward with the lateral incisors, followed by first molars. After that come the canines on either side of lateral incisors and last are the second molars.
Common teething symptoms
What symptoms and signs should you look out?
Drooling: teething stimulates drooling so if you find that your child’s shirts are constantly soggy fasten a bib.
Teething rash: constant drooling may lead to rashes around the child’s mouth and chin.
Biting: the erupting tooth may cause pressure to the gums causing a lot of discomfort which can be relieved by biting on teething rings.
Crying: toddlers suffer from a great deal of pain due to the inflammation of gum tissue which may lead to crying.
Irritability: the tooth pressure may cause irritability for days and even weeks.
Teething remedies:
- Chewing: chewing relieves the aching of the new pearly whites which are pushing up. Bumpy rubbers, teething rings and other chewy, soft toys work well. These toys become more effective when they are cold because they numb the gums. So keep these teething toys in the fridge.
- Cold water and yogurt: a bottle of cold water and yogurt can relieve achy gums.
- Do not apply any homeopathic or herbal ointments as they may cause other health hazards.
There is nothing to worry about
Teething can cause bleeding under the gums that may look like a bluish lump in baby’s mouth. It is nothing to be concerned about as it can be relieved with a cool, wet washcloth.
In some cases child may develop fever and diarrhea so if your child continues to develop a temperature of under 101 degrees it could be caused by swelling of the gums and isn’t anything to worry about. If fever continues for more than three days call your pediatrician. Same is the case with diarrhea if the child has more than two bowel movements, give your doctor a call. And we can recommend teething gels and gum paints according to the child’s need.
