Teething in children – typical and unusual symptoms. Proven methods for teething

Proven content

A beautiful, toothless smile of a child can touch many of us. However, the first snow-white cloves appear sooner or later. Teething in children can have different symptoms and each little one may experience this period of his life differently. How do you know when it’s teething? What can you do and how can you help your baby to ease the pain?

When Should Children Start Teething?

It’s not possible to say exactly when your baby will start teething. It is a very individual matter, like many issues in our life, which often depends on the family. The first tooth sometimes appears in the 5th month of the child’s life, and in others around the first birthday.

If your child has nothing to show for others than his peers, then don’t worry, because sometimes teething may be delayed. Consultation with a pediatrician should be made when no clove appears after the child’s first birthday and the symptoms associated with it. The teething period should be completed by the child’s 31st month of life.

Teething symptoms

The range of symptoms that may indicate your baby is teething is wide and varied. Some of the child’s behavior may not be obvious during teething, especially for inexperienced parents.

The first symptom that should alert us that our baby’s teething process is about to begin is profuse drooling. Saliva can irritate the delicate skin on the baby’s mouth, so it is very important to dry the mouth and chin area and lubricate them with a greasy cream intended for children’s skin. It is also important to protect your baby’s clothes so that they are not damp, and for this, you should put on a bib on your baby. Another common symptom of teething is putting your baby’s hands and other items within reach of your baby’s mouth.

By the time the first tooth appears, baby’s gums are fluffy, red and itchy. When the tooth is about to break through the gum, it becomes very sensitive and the child may feel pain.

A very typical symptom of teething is the occurrence of fever, although in the case of teething, the temperature should be rather elevated, because, according to a study published in 2017 in the pediatric journal Children, teething does not cause a fever. Typically, the temperature that may arise during teething is 37,5-38 degrees C and should drop after the appearance of the tooth. It is related to gingivitis, which may cause a slightly elevated temperature, but the temperature spike will be small and not enough to cause a fever.

In children who have a fever, the condition is most likely caused by a disease or infection, such as an ear infection or urinary tract infection. It should be added here that infants around 6 months of age are more likely to develop infections as they begin to lose immune protection against the antibodies with which they are born. Most babies this age also put anything in their mouths, which can expose them to bacteria and viruses that can cause disease.

A typical symptom of teething is the baby feeling unwell. How can it reveal itself? The child loses his appetite, which is related to the fact that he does not want to suck the breast or the bottle because of his sore gums. These less experienced parents also mistake their baby’s diarrhea for the symptom of teething. Drooling can actually loosen the stool, but it won’t cause true diarrhea which is serious and can lead to dehydration. A typical symptom of teething is very restless sleep, whining, excessive tearfulness, the child is irritable and restless.

See also: What does thick saliva show?

Unusual symptoms of teething

Although the typical symptoms of teething are often obvious and easily related to this period in a child’s life, sometimes symptoms may develop that are rarely associated with the eruption of the first teeth. One of the unusual symptoms may be the appearance of a cough or runny nose, which are often taken for a viral infection, especially when the typical symptom of teething is fever.

Another unusual symptom of teething that may appear is skin problems. In addition to irritation around the baby’s mouth or chin and neck from heavy salivation, a rash may sometimes appear on the abdomen or back, appearing as small red lumps. Another unusual symptom of teething that can occur when molars are erupting is the baby’s pulling on the ears. The reason for this behavior is pain that radiates to the ear area, making the baby react by scratching or pulling strongly on the ears.

Proven methods for teething

Anyone who has survived the so-called eruption wisdom teeth, knows that it is associated with great pain and discomfort. No wonder a baby becomes weepy, anxious and irritable when he starts teething. How can I help my child with the gum pain caused by teeth breaking through? In order to relieve your child from pain, you can give him a slightly chilled teether or a special rattle filled with a special cooling gel.

Cold water can also provide relief from gum pain in babies over 6 months of age. In case your child does not accept the bottle, try giving him or her chilled, ice-free water in a cup. Refrigerated delicacies such as yogurt, blended peaches, and applesauce may also be helpful, as they may be more appetizing than room-temperature snacks. However, care should be taken to ensure that the given food does not pose a risk of choking on the child.Avoid the child sucking on cold food throughout the day, as this may weaken the enamel of erupting teeth, which may later lead to caries.

Another effective method is to gently massage the gums with, for example, chamomile tea in the area where the tooth is erupted with a previously washed finger. To massage the gums and at the same time to clean the baby’s oral cavity, try the CHICCO toothbrush and gum set for children from day 1, which you can buy at a favorable price on Medonet Market.

In the event that natural methods do not help, you can smear your baby’s gums with a teething gel, which you can get at any pharmacy without a prescription. If this does not help and your baby is over 6 months old, you can give him a pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, which can be given as a suppository or syrup. However, you should check with your doctor first to make sure you are giving your baby the correct (and safe) dose.

If you are giving birth, you often use medications to help your baby, who he believes is teething, he should consult a pediatrician to make sure there is no other cause for your little one’s symptoms.

Interestingly, the US FDA warns against the use of lidocaine gels because they have quite a strong effect, and parents who are very eager to help their child may inadvertently exceed the maximum doses that can be administered to their child. In addition, lidocaine can be toxic, affecting the baby’s nervous system and heart. A similar risk can be posed by a local anesthetic, which is not only easy to swallow, but can also lead to a serious and sometimes fatal condition called methaemoglobinaemia, which causes too little oxygen to be supplied to the body’s cells.

Other methods that should be avoided in the event of a baby’s teething include special teething bracelets or jewelry. Anything that can be worn presents a risk of suffocation, especially if the child can put it around his neck. In addition, most teething jewelry contains amber, wooden, marble, or silicone beads that can break or chip and cause your baby to choke. Some people may use strings or rubber bands that may break and the child may swallow them or choke on the bead. Moreover, some of these materials also pose a risk of injury to a toddler’s sensitive gums, increasing the risk of infection.

Remember that even in infancy it is necessary to properly care for oral hygiene. The Neno Denti electronic toothbrush for children has soft nylon bristles, thanks to which you will not irritate the child’s gums. In addition, it is equipped with 3 tips:

1. for brushing teeth and spaces between them, 
2. gum massage, 
3. for cleaning the tongue. 

You can buy the brush at a promotional price on Medonet Market.

See also: Everything you need to know about teething gel

Teething – when to see a doctor?

If your child has a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius, diarrhea or a rash, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician. The child may have developed a respiratory disease, ear infection, or some other unrelated condition. Delaying treatment, especially with fever or diarrhea, may result in dehydration or other serious complications. You should also check with your doctor if your baby is eating or sleeping poorly, or if symptoms persist for more than a week.

While not every symptom in a child is necessarily teething, if a toddler has the same symptoms every time a new tooth comes out, teething is the likely culprit, especially if the symptoms seem relatively mild and the baby seems healthy.

Teething and the order of erupting teeth

When does each tooth appear and in what order it varies from child to child, but here’s a general idea of ​​the order of teeth erupting during teething:

Upper teeth

1. middle incisors (front teeth): 8 to 12 months;
2. Lateral Incisors (teeth on both sides of the front teeth): 9 to 13 months;
3. canines (sharp, pointed teeth on either side of lateral incisors): 16 to 22 months;
4. first molars (posterior teeth used for grinding food): 13 to 19 months;
5. second molars (posterior teeth filling the last gaps): 25 to 33 months.

Lower teeth

1. central incisors (front teeth): 6 to 10 months;
2. lateral incisors (teeth on either side of the front teeth): 10 to 16 months;
3. canines (sharp, pointed teeth on either side of the lateral incisors): 17 to 23 months;
4. first molars (posterior teeth used for grinding food): 14 to 18 months;
5. second molars (posterior teeth filling last gaps): 23 to 31 months.

Also check: What is hidden in our teeth – amalgam fillings

How to take care of your baby’s new teeth?

It’s important to start caring for your baby’s teeth (or tooth) as soon as the first one breaks through. These milk teeth need to last several years before being replaced by adult teeth, and developing good hygiene habits early will help your little one maintain healthy teeth and gums throughout their lives. Taking steps to prevent decay in deciduous teeth is just as important as with permanent teeth as caries can affect permanent teeth and cause other dental problems such as pain and infections.

First, regular brushing is key. The most important thing at this stage is to gently brush your baby’s teeth twice a day and get them used to the brushing routine. Here are some tips for brushing your child’s teeth and how to teach your older child to do the job with parental help.

1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day, always after your child has eaten something sweet and after the last meal or drink of the day
2. Apply a tiny “dot” of fluoride toothpaste to a soft-bristled toothbrush appropriate for your child’s age. Carefully brush each tooth making sure it reaches all surfaces including the sides and inside surfaces. When your child is around 2 years old, you can apply a little more toothpaste to your child’s toothbrush. Equally important, teach your child to rinse and spit instead of swallowing toothpaste.
3. The direction of the brush’s movements does not really matter. The key is to clean each tooth from all angles, making sure you reach down to your back teeth as well

For now, you need to brush your baby’s teeth. As your child grows older and reaches preschool age, help them start brushing their own teeth under parental supervision. Your child will need help until they are 7 or 8 years old, so that the child will be sure that their teeth will be thoroughly cleaned.

In addition to proper oral hygiene for your child, diet is an important part of dental health. Avoid giving your baby sugary drinks like fruit juices and sodas, or sticky sweet snacks like gum, toffee, and caramel. Do not let your baby fall asleep with a bottle of milk, formula, juice, or any other sweet drink as this can cause sweet fluid to build up in the mouth and lead to tooth decay.

Proper care of a child’s teeth is necessary without professional dental care. Typically, the first dentist appointment should be within about six months of the appearance of the first tooth, or until the child is 12 months old, whichever comes first.

See also: Do you brush your teeth often in a hurry? You can hurt yourself

How to help a teething baby at night?

Teething is a common cause of sleep regression in infants. If your baby appears to be waking up at night because of the pain of teething at night, it should be given a few minutes and not intervene to see if he or she can fall back asleep. If your baby is still restless, soothe them with a few gentle pats and talk to your baby calmly in a low voice. If that doesn’t work, the aforementioned teething remedies can be used.

Since babies often start or resume waking up quickly at night, several consecutive nights of waking up to the pain of teething may encourage them to wake up even after they are no longer discomforted.

To break this cycle before it begins, keep helping your baby short. This means avoiding going back to night feeding. In the event that the child seems to be in real pain, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician to determine further steps, e.g. administering the correct dose of paracetamol or ibuprofen to the toddler before he goes to bed. The doctor will also assess your child for any other symptoms of the disease (e.g. ear infections usually get worse at night).