Parenting Blog

Parents have all the reason to get excited about the appearance of the first teeth in their child’s wee mouth. In most babies, the first teeth appear at an age of around six to nine months. The order in which teeth usually appear is: lower incisors, upper incisors, molars, and canines. All the 20 milk teeth usually arrive by the age of two and a half years. The appearance of first teeth is indicative of the fact that the child is now ready to move on to solid foods. While teething is not so much a cause of unease in some kids, in many others, it does cause pain and irritation that is annoying to the baby as well as his/her parents.

Some of the common signs of teething include:

* A reddened area of the baby’s gum (before or after the appearance of the first tooth)
* An inflamed look on one of the baby’s cheeks
* The child’s irritability and fretfulness

These sings do not represent teething alone but may be springing from other illnesses so parents must see a pediatrician for proper treatment of any pediatric disease. When the cause is confirmed to be teething, you can try a number of soothing strategies to alleviate the baby’s teething pain. Following are some tips for easing teething pain in children.

* Let the baby chew on a safe object like teething rings, refrigerated pieces of a carrot or an apple, or hard-baked bread. Don’t give him/her sticky foods like chocolate; the fear of choking is always there. For the same reason, do not leave your baby alone with food.
* Rub your baby’s gums with a clean finger, but not too hard. You may use a teething gel like Bonjela for the same purpose. If you are sure that the sings of unease are not caused by any illness but teething, you may use homeopathic chamomile granules available at health food stores.
* Give the baby enough amount of liquid, preferably cooled, boiled water, at regular intervals. A little amount of pure fruit juice may be added to the water.
* If the child is slightly feverish, showing discomfort, give him/her a dose of infant Paracetamol. If the fever persists, take him/her to a pediatrician to treat any possible infection.
* Start brushing the baby’s teeth regularly, twice a day, soon after their appearance. Use a soft baby toothbrush and a pleasant flavor of baby toothpaste. If the baby is reluctant to allow a toothbrush, start with your clean finger and later introduce the brush.

In case any of the following symptoms appear in the child, take him/her to a doctor for the possibility of infection, since these symptoms are not commonly caused by teething:

* High and persistent fever (especially one that lasts for more than a day)
* Earache
* Diarrhea (especially a persistent one)
* Difficulty in breathing or cough accompanied by fever