Teething is when your baby’s teeth start to come through their gum line. Another word for it is odontiasis.
Your baby’s first teeth will usually make their grand, grumpy entrance at around 6 months old, although signs of teething start sooner. Here are common teething symptoms along with remedies to ease baby’s discomfort.
There’s a wide range of normal in terms of when teething in babies starts. That’s because the moment those first tiny pearly whites make their appearance can vary quite a bit from baby to baby.
Most babies get their first tooth around 6 months old, with teething symptoms preceding its appearance by as much as two or three months.
However, some infants’ first teeth erupt as early as 3 or 4 months old, while others don’t get their first tooth until around or after their first birthday.
Signs and Symptoms of Teething
The symptoms aren’t the same for every baby, but they may include:
- Swollen, tender gums
- Fussiness and crying
- A slightly raised temperature (less than 101 F)
- Gnawing or wanting to chew on hard things
- Lots of drool, which can cause a rash on their face
- Coughing
- Rubbing their cheek or pulling their ear
- Bringing their hands to their mouth
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
Teething can be painful, but it doesn’t usually make babies sick. Call your doctor if your baby has diarrhea, vomiting, rashes on the body, a higher fever, or cough and congestion. These aren’t normal signs of teething.
You also should call the pediatrician if your baby’s gums are bleeding or you see any pus or swelling of their face.
How to Soothe a Teething Baby
Your child may have sore or tender gums when teeth begin to erupt. Gently rubbing their gums with a clean finger, a small cool spoon, or a moist gauze pad can be soothing. A clean teether for your child to chew on may also help. Look for teethers made of solid rubber, and avoid liquid-filled teething rings or plastic objects that could break.
Also, be aware of what the teethers you choose for your child are made from. Just because something is marketed as a teether doesn’t always mean it’s safe.
In a September 2017 report, the Center for Disease Control published a case reporter of an infant who suffered lead poisoning after chewing on a bracelet. The bracelet, which the child’s parents said was a homeopathic magnetic hematite health bracelet intended to help ease the child’s discomfort from teething, had metal beads which contained lead.
So guys choose teethers with extreme caution.