Teething in Babies – Signs and Tips to Take Care of Baby’s Teeth

The emergence of teeth from the gums is called teething. Although teething is a noteworthy milestone, it provokes crying, distress and sometimes even all-nighters! (for both baby and mama).

When Do Babies Start Teething?

Some infants begin to have teeth early on while others may take more time – teething time differs for babies, and it’s perfectly normal. Most babies will start to get those teeny-weeny white pearls from their gums at about 6 months of age. But the signs of teething start to knock on the door when babies begin to get 2 or 3 months old.

How Early Can a Baby Start Teething?

A baby might get their first tooth when they are just around 3 or 4 months old. Moreover, some babies’ first teeth don’t erupt until they approach their first birthday.

What Teeth Do Babies Get First?

In spite of the fact that the sequence of tooth eruption depends on the family history, plenty of babies first have their lower two teeth in front. Next comes the front two teeth on the upper side and two on each side. And this is followed by the two teeth on each side of the front teeth at the bottom. From this point onwards, the molars begin to pop up.

Top 5 Common Signs of Teething in Babies

Teething is a different experience for every baby. In the case of some babies, no symptoms can be visually identified. However, a number of babies have to bear the pain and fussiness that comes with teething. Here are some common signs of teething in babies.

1. Loads of Drooling

You’ll be amazed to see the sheer amount of drooling that teething can cause. Your cutie’s tiny mouth starts these waterworks between the age group of 10 weeks to 4 months. The drooling may keep going until the dawn of each tooth.

Drooling surely makes your darling’s clothes soggy. It’s as if your baby just came home from meditating beside a waterfall(just kidding!) Therefore, make them wear a bib, it will keep your infant tidy and clean. Further, wipe their chin from time to time, they’ll feel very comfortable.

2. Chewing and Biting

Growing teeth exert force from inside the gums, which causes distress. And when your tot randomly chews and bites, they’re instinctively trying to soothe the discomfort by applying pressure from outside the gums.

In these times, babies want to chew and bite everything that they can see – for instance, their hands, and rattles. If your baby is biting your nipples while breastfeeding, hand them a cool washcloth or some other comfortable teething toy.

3. Crying

Your little one may shed a lot of tears due to the pain that teething causes. The tender gum tissues have to bear some inflammation when teeth begin to appear. Your precious one’s first tooth will be preceded by tons of crying or whining because it’s the most painful. Most babies get used to the distress that teething springs up in them, and after a while, they can bear with it a little.

4. Denying Being Breastfed

A baby looks out to relieve their sore gums through things like biting or sucking a bottle or their mama’s breasts. And sucking milk causes suction which amplifies the pain, instead of minimizing it.

Thus, teething infants become very fussy – firstly, their gums are hurting like crazy, and secondly, it’s difficult to fill their stomachs because now sucking milk is also hurting.

5. Ear Tugging and Cheek Rubbing

Your baby may unexpectedly start to pull their ears and rub their chin or cheek and you will wonder, what happened? Take it easy. The ears, cheek and gums are all connected by nerves. Thus, the ache in the sore gums is also experienced in the ears and the cheek.

Furthermore, ear pulling is not solely a sign of teething but also of a baby’s tiredness, and a symptom of an ear infection. So seek a doctor if your baby is acting furious with their ears.

List of Top 5 Tips to Soothe a Teething Baby

These parent-certified soothing remedies will ease up your baby’s teething distress.

1. Buy Teething Toys

Chewing or biting works as an escape from the teething ache. So teething relief toys such as soft teething products can largely bring down the pain. Gently rubbing a soft and damp toothbrush (with no toothpaste) on your infant’s gums will also help. Even your clean finger will do the job of providing counter-pressure on the sore gums.

Infants may get a bit irritated with all these remedies but soon they’ll do wonders to alleviate the ache.

2. Utilize Cold Temperatures

When the gums begin to hurt, a bit of coolness in the sore gums feels like heaven to your infant.

3. Cold Toys

A touch of coolness multiplies the relief obtained from chewing and biting. Keep a stock of wet washcloths and teething toys ready in the fridge to rescue your tot whenever the teething pain monsters annoy them. Aside from this, putting on simple clothes and teething rings in the fridge for your baby’s chewing is not advisable.

4. Slightly Chilled Water

Six-month-old babies can sometimes enjoy a treat of cold water. Make sure the water is ice-free and poured in a cup. Refrigerated water provides relief to the achy gums.

5. Take a Pediatrician’s Help

If chilled water and cold teething toys are not putting a smile on your baby’s face, try meeting with a pediatrician. Take extra care while providing the dosages and give lots of kisses and hugs to your baby, which they crave a lot, especially at this time.

[Read : 8 Natural And Effective Remedies For Teething Babies]

How to Take Care of Your Baby’s Teeth?

As weird as it may sound, you’ll have to brush those tiny pearls from the arrival of the first tooth itself! Start brushing their teeth with a gentle baby toothbrush and fluoride-free baby toothpaste once in the morning and once at night or as advised by the doctor. Remember, a grain size portion of toothpaste is enough for your baby at this age.

[Read : Tips : Caring For Your Baby’s Teeth]

When to See a Doctor?

It’s rare for health conditions like diarrhea and fever to be caused by teething. But you should let your doctor know if your darling has a fever or is not eating for a few days. And you must seek a doctor if loose, liquid stools are accompanying your baby for more than two bowel movements.

Teething in babies is a huge milestone as a part of the growth and development. And all the pain that comes with it can easily be dealt with your love and support. Your cutie will go through this phase with ease with all your remedies and attention.

[Read : Can Teething Cause Diarrhea In Babies?]

FAQ’s

1. Do Fever and Diarrhea Always Accompany Teething in Babies?

It has not been medically proven that fever and diarrhea are symptoms of teething. But parents often notice that these two are linked.

2. What to Expect When Babies Start Teething?

Teething can cause inflammation of the gums, the annoyance of eating, improper sleep, drooling and a few more symptoms.

3. Do Pacifiers Help With Teething Pain?

A refrigerated, clean and sterilized pacifier is a great solution to reduce your baby’s teething pain.

Read : Stages of Teething in Babies