Teething can begin as early as 3 months and continue until a child's third birthday (long time). Around 4 to 7 months, you will notice your child's first tooth pushing through the gum line. The first teeth to appear are usually the two bottom front teeth, also known as the central incisors. These are usually followed 4 to 8 weeks later by the four front upper teeth (central and lateral incisors). About 1 month later, the lower lateral incisors (the two teeth flanking the bottom front teeth) will appear. Next to break through the gum line are the first molars (the back teeth used for grinding food), then finally the eye teeth (the pointy teeth in the upper jaw).
Most children have all 20 of their first teeth by their third birthday. In some rare cases, children are born with one or two teeth or have a tooth emerge within the first few weeks of life. Unless the teeth interfere with feeding or are loose enough to pose a choking risk, this is usually not a cause for concern. If you have any questions or worries it's a good idea to talk to your child's doctor.
When your child begins teething, you may notice that your child seems to dribble more, and seems to want to chew on things. For some babies, teething is painless, others may experience brief periods of irritability, and some may seem cranky for weeks, experiencing crying episodes and disrupted sleeping and eating patterns. Teething can be uncomfortable, but if your baby seems very irritable, contact your doctor.
Although tender and swollen gums could cause your baby's temperature to be a little higher than normal, teething, as a rule, does not cause high fever or diarrhoea. If your baby does develop a fever during the teething phase, it is probably due to something else and your child's doctor should be contacted.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when your baby is teething:
- Gently wipe your baby's face often with a soft cloth or cotton pad to remove the dibble and this will help to prevent rashes from developing.
- Give your baby something to chew on. Make sure it's big enough so that he or she can't swallow it and that it can't break into small pieces.
- Rubber teething rings are good, but avoid the ones with liquid inside because they can break. If you use a teething ring, be sure to take it out of the freezer before it becomes rock hard you don't want to bruise those already swollen gums!
- Try a teething gels there are many on the market that may help but always read the label carefully before you buy them.
- Be careful of grandparents, they may rub whiskey on your baby's gums, they will see no harm in it as they probably did it to you. It is not a good idea as it numbs the gums so much that the child can harm themselves without knowing not to mention the question of giving alcohol to baby.
