Survive Baby Teething | 5 Tips

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Fevers, sleepless nights, and fits: these types of pain sound like teething! But don’t worry; we have tips from our pediatric dentist to help you and your little one survive baby teething. While uncomfortable, there are ways to make teething easier for your baby and you.

Teething is a time when parents can expect their newborn to be grouchy, irritable, and sleepless! Here is everything you need to know about the process for teething newborns.

What to Look For When Baby Starts Teething

First, you need to understand the signs, symptoms, and what to expect when sets of teeth begin to come in. Drooling and acute pain from baby teething may start as early as 3-4 months, but teeth won’t come in until 6-8 months or as late as 12-14 months.

Every baby is different, but generally teeth appear in pairs, and it’s usually the front teeth. The bottom set usually appears first, followed by the matching pair on top.

Be on the lookout for drooling, redness on cheeks or chin, irritability, difficulty sleeping, grabbing ears, biting/chewing/sucking, and turning away food. Be careful not to blame teething for other symptoms such as diarrhea, runny nose, or high temperature. If you notice these symptoms that last longer than 24 hours, you should contact your pediatrician.

Do not be alarmed if your baby’s forehead feels hotter than usual. A slight rise in body temperature is normal for teething babies; however, any temperature over 100.4 degrees is a true fever not caused by teething. You should take your baby to a pediatrician if they break out in a true fever since it is typically a sign of an illness or infection that needs treatment.

When Does Teething Start?

Babies are born with all 20 teeth below their gum line. For newborns, teething typically happens between 6 and 24 months. The teeth usually come in pairs. The middle two teeth at the bottom are usually the first to come in followed by the middle two teeth at the top or vice versa. Children usually have their full set of baby teeth by age three.

Understanding the Teething Timeline

The duration of the teething process can vary widely. For some babies, it may last just a few days, while for others, it can stretch over several months. Each child experiences teething differently, and the discomfort generally eases once a tooth emerges through the gums. Teething typically hurts the worst right before a tooth breaks through the gums, with pain lasting a few days before and after a tooth arrives.

While teething generally follows a pattern, the timing and experience can differ. After the initial teeth appear, there is often a break before the next set arrives, though the interval can differ greatly from child to child.

This variability is important to keep in mind. With each tooth’s arrival, there might be a new wave of symptoms, but relief is usually around the corner once the tooth breaks through. Understanding this can help parents manage expectations and provide comfort to their little ones during this natural phase of development.

For most teething children, it is most painful when each set of molars are coming in. Since molars are the largest teeth, they will hurt worse, and it doesn’t help that they come in two different phases. Some parents notice that typical soothing methods cannot keep up with the discomfort during the second round of molars, but you can try new relief methods or talk to a pediatric dentist for advice.

Here is an average timeline of how the teeth typically grow in:

  • 6 months: lower central incisors
  • 8 months: upper central incisors
  • 10 months: lower and upper lateral incisors
  • 14 months: first molars
  • 18 months: canines
  • 24 months: second molars

Depending on the baby, the teething process can be easy or excruciating, but even in minor cases, most babies show some teething symptoms.

Teething Symptoms

It’s pretty easy to see when your baby’s teeth are starting to erupt from the gum line. The tricky thing is teething symptoms can start 2-3 months before a tooth begins to emerge!

Here are the symptoms you can keep an eye out for so that you can take the proper steps to make this process as comfortable as you can for your newborn.

  • Irritability, especially at night – Most of your baby’s development happens when they are sleeping. Tooth eruption, when the tooth moves through the bone and gum, happens in stages, with more activity at night. This discomfort may cause your baby to wake up several times throughout the night.
  • Excessive Drooling – Although drooling is a normal developmental stage of infancy, drooling in excess can also be a result of your baby teething. Your baby’s body begins to create extra saliva to lubricate the tender and bulging gum.
  • Puffy Gums – Before your baby’s teeth start to poke out, it can cause the area of the gum to become red, swollen, and even bruised-looking. Sometimes, you can faintly see the tooth under the skin.
  • Biting – The pressure of the tooth coming in from beneath the gums can be relieved by counter pressure. This will cause your baby to have a need to bite things.
  • Decrease in Appetite – Usually, when babies are in pain, they lose their appetite, especially if it triggers spots that are sore.

Keep an eye out for these symptoms and it will help you take care of your baby’s teeth when they come in.

  • Irregular Teething Symptoms
  • Body Rashes
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever
  • Vomiting
  • Coughing
  • Congestion

What Can I Do to Ease My Baby’s Teething Pain (5 Steps)

Teething can be a frustrating time for parents, especially when you don’t know how to relieve your child’s teething pain. Sometimes you try a method recommended by a friend or family member and it just doesn’t seem to be working. Thankfully there are multiple methods you can try to soothe your child’s gums, including:

The teeth don’t simply erupt; they twist and shift their way into the gums, which sounds pretty uncomfortable! To help ease this pain and relieve sore gums, use wet washcloths, gauze, or clean fingers to massage the gums for pain management. You can also give them solid teething rings under your supervision.

Massaging and chewing on firm objects helps the teeth break through the skin and relieves some of the discomforts your baby is experiencing. In addition, the gums around the growing teeth may be swollen and painful as each tooth grows upwards.

Look for teething rings that you can chill or freeze. The coolness from these chilled items can help numb your baby’s gums and relieve discomfort. For an easy DIY option, wet a baby-sized washcloth and freeze it for your child to gnaw on.

You can also make use of your baby’s pacifier. Simply ensure it’s clean, then cool it in the refrigerator. This can offer soothing relief as the cool surface gently numbs the gums. Remember to avoid liquid or gel-filled toys as they may leak. Opt for solid, safe options to keep you little one comfortable and content.

Frozen foods such as bananas, carrots, celery, and popsicles also work. Celery has natural pain-relieving properties, so frozen celery works double duty!

If you’re considering fruits specifically, chilled mashed bananas are an excellent start. They are soft and soothing for tender gums. Use a mesh feeder to offer other fruits like apples, pears, or strawberries, which allows your baby to safely suck without the risk of choking.

For added variety, try introducing these fruits in small, manageable chunks, always ensuring they are cold enough to provide relief but not so hard that they become difficult to handle. This method not only calms teething discomfort but also introduces delightful new flavors to your little one’s palate.

When your baby is teething, milk popsicles can also offer a soothing way to ease gum discomfort. Here’s how you can make them and why they’re beneficial:

Making Milk Popsicles

  1. Choose BPA-Free Molds: Start by selecting popsicle molds that are BPA-free to ensure your baby’s safety.
  2. Fill with Milk: Use either breastmilk or formula as the base. Simply pour the milk into the molds.
  3. Freeze: Place the filled molds in the freezer until completely solid. This usually takes a few hours.
  4. Serve with Care: When it’s time to serve, put a bib on your baby to catch any drips. These popsicles can be messy as they melt.
  5. Use a Highchair: Consider placing your child in a highchair while they enjoy their treat. This helps contain the mess and provides a safe space for them to enjoy their popsicle.

Why Milk Popsicles Are Useful

  • Soothing Relief: The cold from the popsicles provides relief to sore gums, offering a natural way to soothe discomfort.
  • Nutritional Content: By using breastmilk or formula, you ensure your baby is getting essential nutrients even while they’re occupied with their teething pain.
  • Engagement and Distraction: These popsicles can also serve as an engaging distraction, helping to redirect your baby’s focus from the discomfort.

By incorporating these simple steps, you can easily create a helpful aid during the challenging teething phase.

Teething pain may seem to worsen at night, making it hard for babies to sleep. The extra fussing is likely because your baby doesn’t have as many distractions to take their attention away from their pain. Try to stay on a regular sleep or nap schedule as best as you can.

Painful symptoms may wake your baby up in the middle of the night,disrupting their sleep schedule. Before reaching for medication, consider other soothing methods like gentle gum massages or chilled teething rings. However, when these options don’t provide relief, it might be time to consider pain relievers as a last resort.

If you decide to use medication, it’s important to choose the right type for your child’s age. Children 6 months and under can only take Infant Tylenol. However, children over six months old can take Children’s Motrin.

Be sure you give them the correct dose! Talk to your pediatrician to ensure you give your baby a safe amount of medicine. With the right dose, medicine is a good option because inflammation causes teething pain, and Motrin relieves inflammation, which helps reduce pain significantly.

Always consult your pediatrician for advice on the correct dosage and most suitable pain reliever for your baby. This professional guidance helps ensure that medication is used safely and effectively when other methods aren’t enough. By doing so, you can help manage your baby’s discomfort while maintaining their regular sleep schedule.

How Extra Cuddling Time Settles a Teething Baby

Teething can be a challenging phase for both babies and parents, often leaving little ones uncomfortable and irritable. One effective way to alleviate this discomfort is by spending more time cuddling your baby.

Emotional Comfort

  • Soothing Touch: Holding your baby close provides a sense of security and warmth. This soothing touch can calm the frayed nerves of a teething baby, offering them emotional comfort during an unsettling time.
  • Bonding Opportunity: Extra cuddle time isn’t just about soothing the baby. It’s an essential bonding moment that reinforces your connection, making your child feel safe and loved.

Physical Benefits

  • Regulation of Stress Hormones: The physical closeness helps regulate cortisol levels, the hormone linked to stress. This can make the teething process a bit more bearable by reducing the overall stress your baby experiences.
  • Flexible Comfort Options: Rocking in a chair or using a baby carrier allows you to gently sway or walk, providing rhythmic motion that can further comfort your baby, potentially easing the pain and helping them doze off.

Rest for Everyone

Teething often disrupts sleep schedules, leading to tired and cranky babies (and parents!). Incorporating more cuddle time into your routine might help both you and your baby catch up on some much-needed rest. It’s a peaceful way to ease discomfort and ensure your little one gets the love and support they need during this growth stage.

Babies tend to drool while teething. Protect your baby’s chin using mild ointment before and during drooling spells to prevent face rashes. In addition, put bibs on your baby to catch the drool. The bib will help prevent drool from soaking through their shirts, so you aren’t changing their outfit six times in one day!

When teeth break through, sometimes it is so painful that your baby doesn’t want to eat. Try to give your baby something cold to bite on before mealtime. Chewing on something chilled will help relieve the pain and allow the hunger to take over.

What NOT to Do to Ease Teething Pain

Though some teething pain remedies may be popular, they may not be safe for your baby. So we advise you to avoid these remedies to keep your baby safe and healthy.

Amber teething necklaces and bracelets may look pretty, but the chain can choke or strangle your baby. Plus, while some may claim that amber helps relieve pain, there is no scientific proof that amber relieves pain. So err on the side of caution and give your baby a teething ring while under your supervision.

We don’t advise giving your baby teething biscuits to chew on since they can easily choke on chunks that break off. Plus, teething biscuits are high in sugar and salt—not very nutritious for your fast-growing baby.

Commonly known as Orajel, benzocaine is a local anesthetic, meaning it helps relieve surface pain. However, the FDA recommends using benzocaine only on children at least two years of age. That means your baby should stay away from benzocaine unless advised by their pediatrician and under close supervision.

Belladonna is a plant poison with a numbing effect, commonly known as deadly nightshade. The plant is very toxic; eating only a small amount of leaves or berries can fatally harm children. So the National Institute of Health (NIH) says it is unsafe when taken orally. You can find over-the-counter products with belladonna, like teething tablets and gels, but the FDA issued a safety recall for the tablets in 2010 and 2016 for their toxicity.

baby teething chart pediatric dentist tennessee

When to Take Your Toddler to the Dentist

Teething is an important sign. We recommend that after six months of your child’s first tooth coming in, you should bring them in to see a pediatric dentist. However, every child grows at different rates. Therefore, if they turn one year old and it hasn’t been six months yet, you should still bring them in.

We hope these tips have helped, and we look forward to serving you at Snodgrass & King Pediatric Dentistry at one of our Middle Tennessee (Mt. Juliet, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill, Franklin and Cool Springs) offices near you.

When to Brush Baby Teeth and Visit Dentist

Now that your baby has teeth, how do you take care of them? As soon as your baby’s first tooth grows in, you should start to brush twice a day. Especially brush your baby’s teeth after the last drink or meal of the day to prevent tooth decay.

How to Brush Your Child’s Teeth

Use a baby toothbrush with small bristles and brush with water. Don’t brush your child’s milk teeth with toothpaste because babies tend to swallow toothpaste. Fluoride toothpaste could cause them to have a bad stomach ache! When your child turns 2, you can apply an amount of toothpaste as small as a grain of rice.

When your child is three years old, you can move them up to a kid-sized toothbrush with small bristles and a thick handle they can easily hold. Add a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to brush their teeth. Teach your child to spit out the excess toothpaste when they can, but assist them with applying toothpaste until they are about 6.

You need to monitor and help your child brush their teeth until they are about 7 or 8 years old. Gauge their ability to brush on their own by seeing how well they can write their name; this will tell you if they can hold a toothbrush and brush their teeth well.

First Dentist Visit

Take your baby to a local pediatric dentist as soon as their first tooth appears or when they have their first birthday, whichever happens first. Since they have only one tooth, the first dental exam won’t require much interaction. Instead, the visits establish a relationship between your child, the staff, and the dentist. Early visits also help alleviate fears of the dentist as the child grows older.

Plus, the dentist and staff can monitor your baby’s tooth growth to prevent problems like gum disease, cavities, and more before they become big problems.

Pediatric Dentists at Snodgrass & King in Middle Tennessee

If you are looking for a pediatric dentist in the greater Nashville area, then visit us at Snodgrass-King Dental! Serving Franklin, Spring Hill, Mt. Juliet, and Murfreesboro you’re sure to find the location right for you and your family. We care for your child’s dental health, from baby to wisdom teeth!
Starting dental care from only a few months of age can prevent chronic pain, gum disease, cavities, and many dental ailments. Look out for Chomp! Your child may even see Chomp, the friendly, purple alligator, during their dental visit.

Baby Teeth and Teething FAQs

No, if your baby has a temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or stomach issues like diarrhea or constipation, you should take your child to the doctor and seek treatment. Teething can cause a higher temperature but never a true fever. Teething also does not cause diarrhea or constipation.

If your baby exhibits these symptoms, it is crucial to consult with your doctor. Fever and diarrhea can signal underlying issues that need professional evaluation. By speaking to a healthcare provider, you ensure your baby receives appropriate care and treatment.

Understanding the difference between teething symptoms and those of potential illness can help you make informed decisions about your baby’s health. Always trust your instincts and reach out to medical professionals when symptoms arise.

A baby’s milk teeth, or their first teeth, can come in as early as 6-8 months and as late as 12-14 months. Teething usually happens a few months before a baby’s teeth come in.

A baby’s first molars can come in around 13-19 months. Their last molars come in around 25-33 months.

Only about 1 in 2,000 babies are born with teeth, called natal teeth, which typically happen because of a condition or abnormality like a cleft palate or lip. Some syndromes cause babies to be born with teeth, like Sotos syndrome, Hallerman-Streiff syndrome, Pierre Robin syndrome, and Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome.

If your baby is born with teeth or their first tooth appears only a few months after birth, it is essential to see your pediatric dentist. Most of the time, natal teeth aren’t problematic, but if they’re loose or not fully developed, they may need to be extracted to prevent choking or tongue injuries.