Teething - When, symptoms, what you can do.

Teething is generally the single most painful experience in a baby's short life, with vaccinations running a close second. Unfortunately it is a necessary pain that makes it possible to rip food apart (and for some kids, bite in general I.E parents, siblings) although my son didn't get teeth until he was 10 months, and I can tell you, he gave babies with teeth a run for their money when it came to eating table-foods.

So now for the facts, as these are questions I have seen time and again on mother/baby forums that I am a part of, and are questions I have asked myself in the beginning.

Teething can start at any age. In fact, in a small number of cases, some children may be born with a couple of teeth that have already come through. This should not cause a child any problems, unless it affects their feeding.

They start to develop while still in utero and for most babies (not all) they start to come through between 6 and 9 months. But for some babies it can start as early as 3 months, or some will have a tooth emerge within the first few weeks of birth.

My son started teething at 4 months but had no teeth, whatsoever until just before 10 months.

Well despite the common mis-conception that the teeth cut though the gums, the fact is a baby's body is a clever little thing and when a new tooth starts to emerge it releases a special chemical that causes some gum cells to die, and therefore separate, which in turn allows the tooth to come through.

For most babies (not all) the first teeth to come through are the bottom two teeth (This was the case for my little man), for a select few the top two teeth come through and then the bottom set. These are called the central incisors. My little man could not have been happier when his two bottom teeth came through and all of a sudden we heard crunching whenever he ate.

Following usually in quick succession are the top and bottom incisors on either side of the central incisors, these are called the lateral incisors.

The back teeth (first molars) usually start to come through between 12 and 24 months (1 - 2 years old) followed by the canines (next to the lateral incisors) between 16 and 18 months and then finally the second molars between 18 and 30 months (1½ - 3 years). By the age of 2½ - 3 years most children will have both sets of milk teeth, though a select few may be waiting on the last few.

Some babies do not experience any pain during teething, while others get every symptom going.

The pain is caused by movement in the developing jaw bone, as the new teeth start to make their way through the gums.

Some teeth may come through easily, whilst others cause pain and discomfort. Once the teeth have emerged, the discomfort will normally stop.

Your baby may experience a number of different symptoms while they are teething, the ones that I know of are listed below, and if I find out anymore I will update this hub.

• A raised temperature - but not a fever, which is a temperature of 38C (100.4F) or above.
• Reddened cheeks - your baby's cheeks may also be warm to the touch.
• Reddened gums.
• Excessive dribbling - this may cause a red rash to develop on their chin.
• Chewing - you may find your baby starts chewing more - it may be toys or objects, or their fingers.
• Restlessness and irritability - the pain caused by teething can make your baby restless and irritable. Which in turn can make them sleep less.
  

Other symptoms

Some people attribute a wide range of symptoms to teething, such as diarrhoea and fever. However, there is no research to prove this, and it is important to be aware that not all symptoms are the result of teething.

First and foremost, the best way you can make a baby feel better is giving them lots and lots of hugs, kisses and love (providing they are compliant of course) it may not stop them crying, but it will make both of you feel abit better.

Official treatments are:

Teething gels: These often contain a mild local anaesthetic, which numbs the painful area which helps remove the pain and discomfort for a while. They also contain antiseptic ingredients which also help to prevent any infections that may occur due to sore or broken skin in your baby's mouth. Always make sure that the gel you are using is specifically designed for baby teething, as general oral gels are not suitable for young children and babies. It may sound like an mute point - but it has been done! If in doubt, ask the pharmacist.

When you have the gel you rub it gently onto your baby's gums with a clean finger. Always follow the intructions on the pack. And gel does run around alot on your finger so it may take a couple of attempts until you get really good at it.

I personally found that dentinox was by far the best teething gel for us, and also ashton and parsons powder was great for helping with the tummy side of things, and if both those failed, Anbesol teething liquid, as it doesn't run around on your finger.

Anbesol is also great for getting rid of adult ulcers I found.

Teething rings/toys

Teething rings and toys give your baby something to safely chew on, which may help to ease their discomfort, as well as providing a distraction from any pain. But bear in mind not all babies go for them, it took us ages to find a teething toy that our son liked and would play with and we wasted alot of money trying to find something.

Some teething rings can be cooled first in the fridge, which may help to soothe your baby's gums. You should follow the instructions which come with the ring so you know how long to chill it for. You should never put a teething ring in the freezer, as if the teething ring becomes very hard or cold, it could damage your baby's gums, or worse - it could get stuck to your baby's tongue. That is a true story from a dental nurse who came into our mum and baby group to talk about teeth I.E cleaning their teeth, which teething toys are best, etc. She said she had seen a few cases where the parents had put the teething toy in the freezer to make it colder and then they had to rush to the dentist because it had gotten stuck to the poor baby's tongue and wouldn't come off.

You should also never tie a teething ring round your baby's neck, as it may be a choking hazard.

Chewing

When babies are teething they chew everything in sight, their hands, their fingers, toys, your hands, your fingers, even your nose if they have the urge.

Try to give them healthy things to chew on such as: carrot sticks, pieces of apple etc, unsweetened rusk. If you're worried about choking then just place the raw food in a mesh feeder and let them chew on it that way. That way they're using it for teething and getting some good old vitamins and minerals into their systems. Make sure you always supervise your child while they are eating. This can be done from 6 months plus.

Painkillers

Now I am not a big fan of using painkillers for teething because of the simple fact they can get used to it as part of their routine, so I personally use it sparingly and as a last resort - but only if they have a slightly raised temperature accompanying the teething and/or diahorrea/ tummy upset.

According to the NHS website you can use painkilling medicine that is designed especially for babies such as; Calpol/ baby tylenol. And only in very small doses. Follow the instructions on the box and again, if in doubt, ask your pharmacist what is safe for you to give your baby.

Cool drinks

Now this is one personally I didn't know about, so I'll give you as much info as I can but unfortunately I can't give you my experience on it. Apparently cool, sugar free drinks can also help - cold water is the best (I think that was a given to be honest) just make sure it isn't too cold. I am assuming you will know if it's too cold by the look on your baby's face. They're great at making funny expressions when they don't like something!

Comfort/playing

Now comfort is something I have already brushed upon earlier in this part of the article, Hugs and kisses are always great. But so is playing with your baby as this can help distract them from the pain/discomfort they are experiencing and immensely cheer them up. I found a good game to play with my little one when he started crawling was to pretend to chase him on my hands and knees. Before he was crawling I found it incredibly difficult to find things to do with him as he rarely seemed interested, so I used to put him in his bouncer, stick vibrate on and let him play with the toys on there, and sometimes knocked the toys to get his attention or made funny faces at him - with this, he would either play, or fall asleep due to the vibration.

Preventing rashes

Now this isn't particularly easy to do, all you can do is try your best, my little man had a constant rash from excess dribbling when he was teething, despite me wiping it constantly, putting sudocrem on it before bed and doing anything else I could think of to help get rid of it. All you can really do is put a bib on them, and keep drying their chins when you notice it.

You should start cleaning your baby's teeth as soon as they start to appear. Your baby's teeth can still be affected by harmful decay, even at a very young age. Some people start brushing the gums even if there are no teeth as soon as solid food is introduced into the baby's diet.

You should be cleaning your baby's teeth twice a day. At first you may find it easier to use a piece of clean gauze or cloth wrapped around your finger. We personally started with a toothbrush straight away. Our view was, what is the point in using a piece of cloth or gauze or whatever when he has to get used to a tooth brush in the end anyway? He loves having his teeth brushed now unless he's tired.

As more teeth appear you should use a toothbrush specifically designed for babies. These toothbrushes have soft, small heads, which will help prevent any damage to the gums. Make sure you gently massage around the teeth and gums with the toothbrush.

You only need to use a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste when your child is a baby. There are several toothpastes specifically designed for babies and children.

Currently the only toothpaste that has the right amount of fluoride in for babies is aquafresh 'milk teeth' for 0 - 3 years. That is subject to change though as the guidelines have only been changed recently.

Never dip your baby's dummy or teething ring into fruit syrups, honey, fruit juices or anything containing sugars. These can expose your baby's teeth to harmful acids, which can attack the newly formed teeth and cause decay. And they can damage the objects themselves which can cause a choking hazard.

You should also never add sugar to bottle feeds or use sugary drinks. Milk and water are the best drinks for teeth.

Bottle-feeding with drinks containing sugar can lead to 'bottle caries' (tooth decay). Your baby will not be born with a sweet tooth and will only have a taste for sugar if it is given at an early age. If you want to give your child fruit juice etc, give it to them in a sippy cup or open cup never a bottle.

If you are bottle-feeding it is recommended that you wean onto a sippy cup by the age of 1 as extended use of a bottle can cause babies to have buck teeth, and tooth decay.

I managed this amazing feat, by putting formula in the sippy cup once my little boy knew how to hold the sippy cup by himself, and would accept the formula this way.

Don't force them to drink it out of a sippy cup though. I was lucky as my son was ready to advance onto a sippy. Not all babies are ready at the same time.

Your dentist will be able to advise you about when to take your baby for their first dental appointment.

Most babies visit the dentist for the first time, whether it is for an appointment or to accompany their parents, at around six months of age. Your child will then have check-up appointments every 3-12 months.

I highly recommend taking your child along with you to your check ups before making an appointment for them as it will get them used to environment.

NHS Choices: Your health your choices

Teething