9 Helpful Things You Should Know About Babies Teething
Parenthood comes with great blessings and also great challenges. As a parent, it's hard to watch your kid dribble, crawl, or be in discomfort while your hands are busy managing a dozen of other things. It's easier to notice when your baby is teething since it's so apparent, as the baby may be prone to mood swings and sleeplessness. (I'm sure you are as well!). There are a few things to keep in mind when going through babies’ teething process.
With advances in science and more knowledge of how children grow and develop, experts have discovered many methods for easing the teething process in newborns. Parents and other relatives worry about their children because of different superstitions passed down from traditional thinking. The fever and teething myth are the most common, along with a slew of others that emphasize a child's teething process. Here are nine helpful tips to better understand the process of teething in babies and help you manage difficult circumstances effectively.
1. Teething and fever
Fever and diarrhea are often mistakenly attributed to teething by worried parents. However, new evidence dispels this myth. New research from the Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health suggests: Up to 55 percent of parents believe teething can trigger major ailments, including ear infections and diarrhea. As a result, these symptoms, which may indicate a more severe disease, might be ignored if parents merely attribute them to teething. Consult your child's doctor if their temperature rises to 100.4 F (38 C) or if they have diarrhea.
2. The Role of Dentist
Contrary to common belief, seeing a dentist as soon as you notice teeth in your child's mouth is strongly encouraged. When a baby's first tooth appears, it can be an excellent indicator of their future oral health and provide your dentist an early warning sign of any potential dental issues.
3. Baby Monster?
When an infant is eight months old, they will begin to see their first pearly white. A newborn can be born with one or two teeth in his mouth. In some cultures, it is a common belief that it symbolizes the devil and indicates sacrilege. Parents will get the tooth removed right away to keep their baby from turning into a "monster."
This is a terrible assumption, to say the least! It's hard to know why a baby's teeth develop while still in the womb, but several theories revolve around hormones, growth stimulants, and other possibilities. The dentist may recommend the removal of a tooth if it appears to be weakly attached, avoiding any future complications.
4. Make it easy for your baby
Ensure that your infant has a toy to gnaw on. Don't let it be small enough to be eaten or choked on, and don't let it crumble or shatter into small pieces. A teething aid made from a wet towel frozen for thirty minutes is a great idea. Avoid bruising the swollen gums by taking them out of the freezer before it becomes rock hard. You should also wash it well after each usage.
5. Symptoms of teething in newborns
You can't blame your infant for being grumpy when teething: it hurts! Your child is expected to be irritable and emotional at this time. Rocking, shushing, and taking a car trip can settle your baby just as they do when the kids are fussy at other times. The pain can cause discomfort in your baby's ears, chin, or cheeks due to the teeth coming in. Newborns will pull their ears or rub the cheeks as a sign of having pain.
Additionally, there is frequent chewing of items, the baby will drool a lot, the gums will be sore, and the child will feel hot.
6. Babies teething: The Timeline
A baby's teeth may come in at different times, depending on the child's genetics and family history. Teething usually begins around the six-month mark for most babies. It is common for the two lower front teeth to appear first, followed by the two higher front teeth (upper central incisors). To better understand the timeline, refer to the chart below.
|
Teeth |
Erupting time |
Shedding Time |
|
Upper Teeth- Central Incisor Lateral Incisor Cuspid Canine |
Eight to twelve months Nine to thirteen months Sixteen to twelve months Sixteen to twenty-two months |
Six to seven years Seven to eight years Ten to twelve years Nine to eleven years |
|
First Molar |
Thirteen to nineteen months |
Seven to eight years |
|
Second Molar |
Twenty-five to thirty-three months |
Ten to twelve years |
|
Lower Teeth- Second Molar |
Twenty-three to thirty-one months |
Ten to twelve years |
|
First Molar |
Fourteen to eighteen months |
Nine to eleven Years |
|
Canine (Cuspid) |
Seventeen to twenty-three months |
Nine to twelve years |
|
Lateral Incisor |
Ten to sixteen months |
Seven to eight years |
|
Central Incisor |
Six to ten months |
Six to ten years |
7. Methods to alleviate a baby's teething pain
If your babies' teething begins, you may notice that their gums are painful or inflamed. A moist gauze pad, a tiny chilled spoon, or a clean finger gently rubbed against their gums can be comforting. Providing your infant with a healthy teether to chew on might also be beneficial. Consider solid rubber teethers rather than those filled with liquid that might shatter, and steer clear of those made of plastic.
Be cautious of the materials used in the teethers you purchase for your child. Teething toys may or may not be safe, regardless of their marketing claims. A child who got lead poisoning via chewing on a bracelet was documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a study released in September 2017. The band, which the child's parents said was a homeopathic magnetic hematite health bracelet, had metal beads that contained lead.
8. Choosing between numbing gels and teething tablets might be difficult.
The FDA advises parents and caregivers to avoid using benzocaine products for infants below two years. There are specific cautions on the medicine label for benzocaine oral drug products that should only be used by adults and children two years and older. In a statement released this year, the FDA noted the following:
- In treating oral discomfort, especially teething sore gums in newborns, these medications involve substantial hazards and offer little to no help. Anbesol, Hurricane, Orajel, Baby Orajel, and Orabase are benzocaine (OTC) over-the-counter anesthetics.
- A sporadic but deadly illness known as methemoglobinemia is connected to the usage of benzocaine. The quantity of oxygen delivered through the bloodstream is drastically decreased in this case.
- According to the FDA's lab tests, toxic belladonna was identified in "inconsistent levels" in "some homeopathic teething pills," which urged parents not to use or toss out homeopathic teething tablets.
- Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, noted that children under two years of age could have unpredictable responses to belladonna and its administration is therefore dangerous.
- According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are no proven health benefits of homeopathic teething remedies.
9. Taking care of the baby's first tooth.
Brush your baby's teeth twice a day with a soft, clean cloth—after the morning meal and before sleep. Your baby's mouth may be kept free of food particles and germs by using a mouthwash. Your baby's first teeth should be cleaned twice daily using a tiny, soft-bristled toothbrush. Avoid using toothpaste thicker than a grain of rice until your child is around three years old and has learned to spit. Babies teething between two and three years of age must be introduced to a pea-sized dollop.
Parents must get the baby's teeth checked out regularly. First dental visits for children should be scheduled around their first birthday, according to the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
Conclusion
Teeth differ in size, form, and position in the jaws. These distinctions allow teeth to cooperate to help you chew, talk, and smile. They also contribute to the contour and structure of their face. Most newborns have twenty (primary) teeth at birth, which begin to emerge about six months. They shed at various stages of childhood. By the age of 21, all 32 permanent teeth should have emerged.
Unfortunately, several myths and misconceptions surround the teething period in babies. These fallacies can leave many new parents perplexed or result in a baby being hurt during the teething phase. Being a new parent is an arduous undertaking, but ParentalMastery.com is here to help. So, set all your concerns aside and use our experience and suggestions to assist you with your babies’ teething period.