Babies are born with all their twenty primary teeth right below the gumline. These teeth start to come through the gums between six and twelve months old, with the full set coming in by three years old. All these sharp protruding teeth breaking through the sensitive gum tissue can be painful for little ones! Read on for tips for helping your babies through this tricky time.
Signs Your Baby is Teething
The symptoms of teething can be mistaken for several other health concerns. It’s important to track your child’s behavior, so you can help determine what problem is causing the particular symptoms. According to the American Dental Association, some common symptoms of teething include:
- Fussiness
- Trouble Sleeping
- Irritability
- Loss of Appetite
- Excessive Drooling
If your baby is experiencing some of these symptoms, try these methods to soothe them:
Rub Your Baby’s Gums
Gentle pressure on your baby’s gums can help soothe teething pain. That’s why your baby always has their fingers or toys in their mouth while their teeth are coming in. To do this yourself, gently rub the swollen gums with a clean finger or gauze pad. Apply gentle pressure.
Use Cold Items
A cool washcloth or a chilled ADA approved teething ring can help relieve teething pain. Dentists don’t recommend using frozen teething toys.
Introduce Hard Foods
Your child’s teeth coming in means they may be ready to try harder foods in their diet. Foods like seedless cucumbers, carrots and teething crackers can be helpful to gnaw on during this time. However, it’s extremely important to watch your child with these new foods and take them away if they’re not able to chew or swallow them properly.
Have a teething baby at home? It might be time for their first dentist appointment! Contact Huntingdon Valley Dental Arts for an appointment with Dr. Zola Makrauer or Dr. Julie Miller today!