The arrival of your baby’s first tooth is an exciting milestone! But teething can also be an uncomfortable process for your little one. As baby teeth start pushing through the gums, it’s common to experience symptoms like fussiness, drooling, and swollen gums. Knowing what signs to watch for and how to ease your baby’s discomfort can help you get through this phase.
Early Teething Signs
Teething typically begins around six months old, but some babies start earlier or later. Early signs your baby is teething include:
- Increased drooling and damp bibs from extra saliva production
- Chewing behaviours like gnawing on toys, fingers, or clothing
- Swollen, tender gums that may appear reddish or bluish
- Irritability and increased crying
- Pulling on ears due to referred pain in the jawbone
- Trouble sleeping
- Low-grade fever under 101°F
These symptoms result from the pressure of the tooth cutting through the gums and increased inflammation in the mouth. While every baby experiences teething differently, keeping an eye out for these early signs can clue you in that those first pearly whites will soon pop through!
Teething Symptoms and Treatment
- Sore, Inflamed Gums
One of the classic teething symptoms is sore, inflamed gums. As the new teeth push up, they put pressure on the gums, causing tenderness, swelling, and pain. Your baby may act fussier when you touch their gums. Red, bluish, or whitish-raised areas may appear where teeth are emerging. Gently massaging the gums with a clean finger or wet gauze can provide some relief. Just be sure to wash your hands first to avoid spreading bacteria.
- Increased Biting and Chewing
Babies start aggressively chewing on anything they can get their hands and gums on during teething. This counterpressure helps relieve some of the aches in their gums. Having lots of safe teething toys and rings available gives your baby appropriate surfaces to gnaw and chomp on for temporary comfort. Freezing a wet gauze pad, washcloth, or specially-shaped teething toy can have an extra numbing effect for sore gums.
- Drooling and Swallowing Excess Saliva
All that chewing and gum inflammation also triggers drooling. As your baby’s body tries to lubricate the irritated gums, it produces more saliva. You’ll see it dribbling down their chin in strands. To manage the extra spit-up, keep lots of soft, absorbent bibs handy to gently dab your baby’s face. Avoid dehydration by offering more frequent breastfeeds or bottles with water. Swallowing that excess saliva actually soothes the baby’s gums, too!
- Cranky, Disrupted Sleep
Between sore, swollen gums and increased saliva pooling in the mouth, teething can disrupt your baby’s sleep. They may have trouble settling down or wake up frequently crying. Gum discomfort combined with new emerging teeth can also interfere with feeding. Check with your child’s dentist if major sleep disruptions last more than a few nights or if weight gain stalls. Otherwise, being patient, soothing your baby, and sticking to consistent bedtime routines will help minimize fussy periods.
- Relieving Teething Pain
Consult your paediatric dentist or doctor about appropriate pain relief options. Common recommendations include:
- Gentle gum massaging
- Cold teething rings or washcloths from the fridge
- over-the-counter teething ointments containing benzocaine applied sparingly
- Infant pain relievers like acetaminophen in appropriate doses
Avoid teething gels containing benzocaine for children under two years old except under medical guidance. While numbing sore gums, they can pose a rare but serious risk of methemoglobinemia. Practicing safe gum rubbing and using cool surfaces to chew provide safer teething symptom relief.
Conclusion
With patience and love from the parents, your baby will get through this temporary teething phase as their beautiful new smile slowly emerges! It can be challenging to deal with fussy behaviours and disrupted sleep during this time. But remember, it will pass. Applying safe numbing techniques and providing appropriate chewing surfaces can help relieve your baby’s discomfort.
Reach out to us anytime at Carrum Downs Dental Group for more guidance navigating your baby’s teething journey. Our experienced dentists in Carrum Downs Dental Group are here to support you and your baby through the ups and downs of teething. We can provide personalized tips and recommend the most effective over-the-counter or prescription pain relief options to keep your little one as comfortable as possible. This is an exciting milestone, and we look forward to caring for your baby’s teeth and gums!
