All About Teething

Unless you are the parent of one of 2,000 babies born with teeth, you are probably going to be staring at that adorable gummy smile for at least three months. Unless you are the parent of a child with an extremely rare condition that results in the child not ever growing teeth (a type of agenesis), you will deal with teething at some point.

While the tooth buds developed in your womb, your little one will not likely show his first pearly white until between four and seven months.

Pain
Most parents dread teething because of the expected pain for the child. The truth is that some children really do not feel any pain at all. For some children, a tooth sprouts overnight without bothering the child at all. Of course, for others, it is an incredibly painful and drawn-out process. Some theories state that teething does not cause any symptoms at all, including pain. I do not personally know anyone who does not attribute their child's fussiness, wakefulness, etc. around this age to teeth breaking through those adorable gums.

Dealing with pain
There are few things sadder than watching your baby cry and not being able to do anything about it. (I have to admit, though, sometimes I do find it adorable through the sadness!) So what can you do to help to alleviate some of your baby's pain?

There are well-known teething toys like Sophie the Giraffe. There are also sterile water-filled teethers, soft tube teethers, and vibrating teethers meant to massage. Of course, you may find that your child's favorite teething toy is his (or your) fingers. Some children, like mine, do not have a preference - they will chew anything in their reach.

You will often hear people talk about a frozen washcloth working well, but do keep in mind that sucking on a frozen washcloth, means consuming water (and possibly some laundry detergent).

Also on the market are teething gel and teething tablets. My mother-in-law insists that nothing works like rubbing whiskey on the child's gums, but I have chosen an alcohol-free childhood for my son. (There is more on the whiskey idea all over the Internet, but it is strongly advised against for obvious reasons.)

Symptoms
A rise in the child's gums is common, but can be there for several weeks prior to tooth eruption and may not appear at all in some children.

Fussiness - the soreness of the tooth rising closer to the surface may cause some fussiness. This tends to be the worst for the first teeth and the molars. Of course, you might be the lucky parent who never sees an increase in fussiness or the unlucky parent whose poor baby is sore (and therefore fussy) throughout teething.

Drooling - teething stimulates drooling. Again, the amount will vary baby to baby.

Coughing - your baby may cough due to increased saliva production.

Chin rash: extra drool = extra irritation to the skin. Be sure to keep up on your wiping to help prevent this.

Gnawing - As discussed above, teething babies very often like to gnaw on anything and everything. Biting causes pressure above the gums that helps relieve the pressure from under the gums.

Cheek rubbing - Pain in the gums may travel to the cheeks, especially when the larger teeth (molars) begin to erupt.

Ear pulling - Same as the cheeks, but keep in mind that this is also a symptom of an ear infection so do not dismiss it.

The medical community disagree whether two symptoms are actually teething symptoms - diarrhea and low-grade fever. If diarrhea lasts more than two bowel movements, or fever lasts more than two days, be sure to contact your doctor.

Sleeping less (and less well) - Teething pain does not stop for nights and naps. Your baby may wake more frequently due to pain.

Does my baby need a dentist?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists recommends that your child see a dentist when the first tooth appears, but no later than his first birthday. There are pediatric dentists, who specialized in school in the dental treatment of children. It may seem silly to take a child with one tooth to the dentist, but baby teeth help children learn to speak clearly and chew naturally and they help to form the path for permanent teeth. Further, going to the dentist early in life and having a positive experience can prevent odontophobia in later life and establish good dental hygiene patterns for your child.