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Having a baby is a beautiful experience, and the baby’s first tooth is an important milestone in this beautiful journey. But along with the joy it brings, soothing your baby during the teething needs proper care and attention.
Here’s what dentists have to say for helping you soothe your baby during this development process.
Baby Teething Timeline
As per the age is considered for the teething process, it varies for each and every baby. However, as per the studies, the baby may get the first tooth as early as three months, or may even take about a year. It’s totally normal even if your baby is taking more than suggested period as it depends on various factors.
As per the observations of various dentists, a rough timeline for the teething process can be considered as:
- 3 to 7 months: Teething process begins
- 7 to 12 months: Upper middle teeth becomes visible
- 9 to 16 months: Middle teeth emerges
- 13 to 19 months: First molars begin to show up
- 16 to 24 months: Canines starts to appear
- 24 to 30 months: Second molars on the bottom shows up
- 24 to 34 months: Second molars on the top shows up
Symptoms to look for;
In order to help your baby with the teething pain, you should look for certain symptoms for the same. As per the dentists, few noticeable symptoms include:
- Drooling: It may be noticed that saliva flows out of babies mouth very often. This is one of the first signs of baby teething.
- Swollen Gums: A slight redness and swelling can be observed in the gums that are about to show tooth in the next few days or weeks.
- Fussiness: It is often noticed that your baby isn’t sleeping properly. This is probably due to the pain caused due to teething.
- Chewing Habits: As the teething begins, babies tend to chew anything and everything they can lay hands on, or maybe even their fingers.
- Eating Problems: Your baby may often refuse to eat or drink due to the amount of pain he suffers.
- Rashes and Fever: In some cases, rashes near the neck (referred to as dribble rashes) and mild fever can also be seen. If the problem seems to be severe, consult with your doctor.
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Helping your Teething Baby
There are certain tips and remedies that dentists suggest to help you with easing your baby’s teething pain.
- Rubbing along the gums with a clean finger
- Once the baby began gnawing, you may offer him something to chew. Most dentists in Manchester suggests chewing on something cold as it eases the pain as well. You might consider teething rings and even teething toys. Just make sure to keep it clean and hygienic.
- Regular cleaning for rashes caused due to drooling with clean cloth can be helpful.
Are teething gels or alternatives safe?
If you visit any dentist, he may offer you some teething gels or similar alternatives to help your baby with teething pain. These basically work as a mild anesthetic and an antiseptic and numb the pain for some time.
Although it may sound a good option to consider, there are few precautions you need to take care of while choosing a teething gel. Opt for a sugar-free gel and those specially made for babies. Also, do not apply in excess to the prescribed quantity as it might affect your baby adversely.
Taking care of baby teeth
Proper tooth care is must even before full teeth are shown. Regular wiping of gums with a clean and soft cloth is suggested by most of the dentists, or anywhere around. When the first tooth shows up, it is recommended to start using a soft and small toothbrush to keep them clean.
What not to do?
According to most of the dentists, it is advisable not to use fluoride toothpaste until the baby turns three. Also, many parents are concerned about the discolouring of the infant’s teeth and may think of teeth whitening products. Dentists strictly warn against using any type of teeth whitening products on baby teeth. You should only consider it after your kid has the adult teeth.
It can be seen that teething is one of the major development phases for your child, and thus it requires proper care. Besides the above-mentioned tip, it is wise to consult a wise dentist on time to ease the teething process for your baby. You can count on us among the best dentists in Manchester when it comes to helping your baby smile better.
