How Can I Help My Child Get Through Teething?
When your baby is teething, they will likely be extra fussy and cranky, with plenty of sleepless nights between the aching gums. Welcome to the world of teething. If you are experiencing teething as a parent for the first time, this experience can be a challenge, and if you have more than one child, you already know what we are talking about. Your child is going to go through the teething stage in a few years, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how you can help your teething child through this difficult stage of development with a few helpful tips.
What is Teething?
When your baby is born, they are born with 20 primary teeth below their gumline. The first tooth often appears between 6-12 months, although it can occur earlier and later depending on the child. Some babies are born with a tooth already present, though this is a rarity. Teething is a term for the process infants go through as their teeth begin to break through their gums. By the time your child reaches three years of age, they should have a full set of 20 baby teeth, so there won’t be tons of changes in your child’s mouth for the first few years of their life.
How Do I Know My Baby is Teething?
There are classic signs of teething, including the following:
- Crankiness or Irritability
- Tender or Sore Gums
- Swollen or Red Gums
- Excessive Drooling
- Chewing on Objects like Toys
- Reduced Appetite
- Disturbed Sleep Pattern
- Low-Grade Fever (100 F or Below)
Teething symptoms can occur anytime, but are often present on the days before a brand new tooth erupts, then can subside until another tooth is ready to come in.
What Is There to Expect During the Teething Process?
Your baby’s teeth will break through their gums in different stages during the teething process. Often, the bottom front teeth come in first, followed by the top front teeth. Over the next 2-3 years, the rest of your child’s teeth will slowly break through the surface of the gums. Some children have all of their baby teeth by the time they turn two, though most aren’t finished until the age of three.
What to Do and Not to Do to Help My Child Feel Better?
Your child’s pediatric dentist sees plenty of young, new patients in the midst of teething and offers plenty of helpful tips to ease your child’s pain, including the following:
- Use a damp washcloth or gauze pad to rub your baby’s gums.
- Chill a teething ring or toy in the refrigerator and give it to your baby to chew on.
- Use a bib to catch drool and keep their chin dry.
- Avoid teething gels that have salicylate or benzocaine as active ingredients until your child is at least two years of age.
- Instead of teething gel, give your baby liquid acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with discomfort.
- If your child is old enough, you can encourage them to chew hard foods like cold fruit and veggies to help soothe aching gums.
There are a handful of teething remedies that you should avoid, as they can harm your child. Never do the following:
- Give your baby aspirin and rub it on their gums.
- Use alcohol to rub on their gums.
- Put frozen teething toys or rings directly on the gums.
- Use choking hazards like teething rings or toys for your baby to chew on.
- Use homeopathic teething tablets.
The teething stage can be a nightmare and difficult to manage, which is why your local Montana pediatric dentist is here to offer you guidance and support whenever you need it.
Bottom Line
It is of the utmost importance that you begin caring for your child’s teeth as soon as the first one breaks through the surface. Their baby teeth will have to last many years before they are eventually replaced by their adult teeth, so the sooner you can prevent tooth decay, the better! Your child should have had their first dentist appointment by the age of one. If you have questions about how you can make your child more comfortable during the teething stage, reach out to your local Montana pediatric dentist team.
Trust the professionals at Lolo Dentistry, the expert children’s dentist in the Western Montana area, to help you keep your child’s teeth healthy. There are three dental offices to serve you in Lolo, Frenchtown, and Superior for Mineral County, Montana. Call us at 406-284-8669 for more information on procedures, dentistry, reviews, and more.
Trust the professionals at Lolo Dentistry, expert Missoula dentists, to help you keep your child’s teeth healthy. There are three dental offices to serve you in Lolo, Frenchtown, and Superior for Mineral County, Montana, call us at 406-284-8669 for more information on procedures, dentistry, reviews, and more today! We are one of the only children’s dentists in Montana that accepts Medicaid.
