Cutting that first tooth

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The normal process of teething (the eruption of teeth through the gums) involves the swelling of gums, pain and irritations. It will happen throughout the first few years of life with a set of 20 deciduous teeth (baby, milk or primary teeth) growing in. Just as you get over this stress, those lovely little teeth will then fall out.

Dealing with teething pain in infants is difficult because they just can’t tell us what the problem is. Look out for the signs of teething. Swollen and itchy gums start the process. Lots of excess saliva will begin to go just everywhere. And when the tooth finally decides to pop out there may be symptoms ranging from a low grade fever to diarrhea.

 

What Can You Do?

A great way to comfort a teething baby is to rub the gums firmly and gently with a clean finger. Providing cool things to chew on is another effective way to treat teething. Wet washcloths or terrycloth toys fresh from the fridge or freezer are the most popular with babies.

Every family has standard tricks that they swear by. They can range from a cold carrot to special teething biscuits that babies can chew on to relieve the gums. Remember that every child is different and what worked great for the first may not work at all for the second. Always take care that whatever you give your baby, cannot be swallowed or choked on.

There are a wide range of teething toys in all manner of shapes and styles on the market. Look at many different styles, ask friends and try out different things until you find that one thing that your baby likes. The search could take a little while, but there are 20 teeth coming in. It could be worth a bit of extra effort.

As with most adults tooth pain is sometimes unbearable. Get some medicine. There are many brands of teething gels (Benzocaine teething gels) that can be rubbed onto the gums to numb the pain. Your doctor or pharmacist can recommend one. It numbs the sore gums. It also numbs the whole mouth and some babies dislike it as much as the teething. Children’s pain reliever can be given according to the directions at night when they cannot sleep, if they are running a low grade fever or when they simply cannot be satiated.

Always check with your doctor if you feel the fever is too high or symptoms are severe.

Don’t worry about spoiling your baby, sleep training or any other developing issues. Coddle, hug, carry and try your best to comfort your baby until the tooth grows in. The brief discomfort of teething will soon be over and the pleasures of eating can begin.

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