What Are The Effects Of Baby Teething And How Can You Soothe Your Baby Teething Discomfort?

Baby TeethingBaby teething starts at different ages for different babies and occasionally it takes quite some time before they appear.

Most children will get all of their primary teeth by three years of age.

If your baby doesn’t have his first tooth up to the age of twelve months, you should consult your dentist.

Every child has 20 primary or baby teeth during their lifetime: ten in the upper jaw and ten in the lower jaw.

The appearance of baby teething is as follows:

  • Very first the upper and lower incisors will appear
  • The upper lateral incisors next come in few months
  • Bottom lateral incisors will appear shortly
  • Top and bottom molars are the next set usually come around 18 months
  • Soon after the molars the cuspids or eyeteeth will come
  • After two or two and a half year, the second set of molars will appear

Baby teething order can vary and no two children will necessarily be alike in their teething schedule. Occasionally, you will notice some cases in which a child does not get an entire set of baby teething.

In very rare conditions a baby is born with a front tooth. You can notice this case 1 in every 2000 babies. If this is the case with your baby then you should consult a pediatric dentist to see your baby.

Few surefire signs while appearing baby teething:

  • Slight fever
  • Increased fussiness
  • “Clingy” behavior
  • Swollen, red, inflamed gums
  • Nighttime crying
  • Poor appetite
  • Excessive slobbering (drooling)
  • Chewing on fingers, teething rings and other objects
  • Increased demand in breast or bottle feeding
  • Interrupted sleep
  • Refusal of breast or bottle because sucking hurts the gums

Guidelines to lower your baby teething discomfort:

  • Gently massage the swollen gums with one of your clean fingers
  • Give your baby something cold to chew on like a Popsicle or a teething ring or a frozen banana.
  • Take a clean and soft wash cloth and soak it in apple juice. Press it out, tie the cloth in knot, and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. When frozen, give it to your baby, placing it first in his mouth, then his hands. Your baby will love the apple juice and most doctors grant it for even very young infants. When your baby keeps the cold washcloth in his mouth he feels comfort and it eases your baby’s pain right away.
  • You can use Acetaminophen for few days to reduce your baby teething discomfort.
  • Baby Advil or ibuprofen can be used to reduce the discomfort. It is more effective than Acetaminophen because ibuprofen contains an anti-inflammatory component and Acetaminophen does not.
  • Don’t use lotions and ointments to reduce your baby teething discomfort in a baby less than four months old. They washout the baby’s mouth within minutes. They contain an agent that could numb the throat and cause the baby to suffocate.
  • Under any situations, never place alcohol into your baby’s mouth. Alcohol can act like a poison to a young baby.

The care you should take while baby teething:

Primary baby teething will enable your child to chew and speak properly, and these baby teething reserve space in the jaw for permanent teeth. Make sure that, never allow your babies to fall asleep with a bottle. This will cause tooth decay. Whether your baby is bottle fed or nursed, he will be vulnerable to “baby bottle tooth decay”.

This condition occurs when freshly developed baby teething are exposed to liquids containing sugars for long periods of time. Bacteria in the mouth will grow in the sugar, which spoils the tooth enamel and cause cavities.

The best way to treat the “baby bottle tooth decay” is prevention. Don’t allow your baby to use a bottle as a pacifier or fall asleep with a bottle containing anything other than water. Gently clean your baby’s teeth and gums after each feeding.

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