Tips for Teething Babies

Teething – a painful yet necessary milestone in your baby’s
early life. Though every child is different, many experience
similar signs of teething.

Many of us at Charlotte
Pediatric Dentistry are parents, too, so we know what you and
your little one are going through. We’ve come up with some tips
to help making the teething months a little more bearable.

How to tell your baby is teething

The signs of teething are unmistakable, though some babies
manage to go through the teething phase without any real pain or
symptoms. Here are a few common signs of teething:

• Excessive drooling
• Low grade fever (less than 101 degrees)
• Gum rubbing
• Chewing and biting on any object they can – clothes, toys,
  fists, etc.
• Increased irritability
• Outer mouth rash (caused by excess drooling)

A common mistake many of us make is to chalk up almost all
symptoms to teething. If your baby’s fever is accompanied by
runny nose, cough, noticeable ear pain, or anything else out of the
ordinary, note that these symptoms are not caused by teething.

When does teething start?

Babies typically start the teething process around
4 – 6 months old. Though the first few months of teething can
be unbearable for babies and parents, the teething process is
inherently important for language development, immunity
strengthening, bone development, and the ability to consume
nutritious foods.

Alleviating teething pain

As parents, we often have a hard time seeing our little one in
pain, especially when they are too young to communicate the exact
problem. Though we can’t completely stop the painful process of
teething, there are ways to alleviate the discomfort.

• Chewing on a clean, wet, cool washcloth
• Gum massage (make sure you thoroughly wash your hands
  first)
• Chilled teething toys
• Dry up excess drool to avoid mouth rashes
• OTC (over-the-counter) remedies – check with your
  pediatrician first

Go for cold, not frozen

Frozen teething toys may be too cold for your baby’s sensitive
gums. Put
solid teething toys in the refrigerator instead of the freezer.
Though solid toys are preferred over the liquid-filled plastic
teething toys, those are acceptable when used under parental
supervision.

Some foods your baby may enjoy during teething are chilled
applesauce, teething biscuits, and cold pureed fruit.

Keep teething objects clean

Once your baby feels comforted and soothed by their teething
toy, they will lose interest in it and move on to the next thing.
Make sure you sanitize teething toys between each session. Lack of
sanitation can cause an infection.

Call your pediatric dentist

Your child should see their trusted pediatric dentist
after their first tooth erupts. Typically, the bottom two front
teeth are the first to erupt (sometimes they come in one at a
time).

Your baby’s teeth and gums will be examined at the first
appointment. Keeping their teeth and gums healthy
from the beginning gives them a better chance of healthier
smiles in the years to come!

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