It can be an exciting time when your little one cut their first tooth. But when will that happen?
Babies usually start teething around six
months old. However all babies are different and this can range from three
months all the way up to when they reach their first birthday, so don’t be
worried if your baby had not exhibited signs of teething before twelve months.
What are the signs and symptoms that you
baby is teething?
Symptoms can start three to five days
before the tooth breaks through the gum and you should notice that once the
tooth has erupted the symptoms are relieved.
Again all babies are different but some of
the common signs and symptoms include:
Drooling a lot – keep some tissues and
extra bibs with you to mop up the dribble. It’s a good idea to wipe their mouth
and chest regularly as the saliva can cause rashes.
Slightly raised temperature – this is
usually nothing to be worried about but keep an eye on it as your baby may have
an underlying infection that is not related to teething, but can be masked by
the signs and symptoms. If you are worried seek advice from your GP
immediately.
Hot and rosy cheeks – your baby’s cheeks
may be red and hot to the touch. If you wet a flannel with cold water and place
it on their cheeks it can help to cool them down.
Disturbed sleep - the pain of teething can
cause your baby to wake up on a regular basis so be prepared for some sleepless
nights until the tooth erupts.
Fussy eating – you may notice that if your
baby is breast fed that they start biting down on your nipples to try and
relieve their pain. Similarly with bottle fed babies they may start chewing the
teat. You may also find that your baby
is only interested in foods they can bite down on and chew.
Swollen and sore – the area where the tooth
is erupting can become very red and swollen. This is perfectly normal.
Chewing everything – to relieve the
pressure in their gums your baby will probably be chewing on anything they
find, so be extra vigilant with what you leave lying around.
What can you do to relieve the symptoms?
It can sometimes be quite distressing when
your baby starts teething as they can cry a lot and be very fussy, but there
are some very good medical and non medical ways to relieve the pain. These
include:
Teething rings – make sure these are
sterilised before use. Freeze them and once the liquid is solid, give it to
your baby to chew on.
Rubbing their gums – massaging their gums on
a regular basis can relieve some of the pressure they are feeling, just make
sure you wash your hands before you do this.
Freeze a banana – pop a banana in the
freezer overnight. This can be a great way to relieve the pain and they will
enjoy chewing on it. This option is only suitable if your baby is weaned and at
the right stage to eat a frozen banana.
Infant paracetamol – this can ease some of
the pain but be sure to space out the doses and always read the label.
Topical anaesthetic gels – these work by
numbing the gums. Rub it all over their gums and you should find it is very fast
acting.
Once your baby’s tooth has erupted you need
to start brushing it on a regular basis. It can be difficult to use a
toothbrush on a baby so using a damp flannel can do the job quite well.
