by Blythe Lipman

Teething is a fact of life. Not only is it tough for some babies, but almost as painful for mommy and daddy. Teething can start weeks or months before those teeth actually appear. In most babies, teething is in full swing by seven months.

Typically between four and seven months you will notice your child’s first tooth pushing through the gum line. The two bottom teeth appear first, theses are the central incisors. Usually four to eight weeks later you will see the four upper front teeth popping through, called the central and lateral incisors. About a month later, the two teeth flanking the bottom front teeth, the lower lateral incisors will come in. The first molars which are the back teeth used for grinding food come in next and finally the pointy teeth known as the eyeteeth. Most toddlers will have all twenty of their primary teeth by their third birthday. This scenario is a general rule. Don’t worry if your baby doesn’t follow this schedule. Each baby is different.

Some babies breeze right through teething and one day when you are feeding your baby you hear a little clink on the spoon, voila, the first tooth has been born! Other babies experience one or more of the following symptoms or none at all.

•Clear runny nose
•Diaper rash
•Excessive drooling
•A pink, itchy rash around the mouth from drooling
•Crankiness
•Refuses solids
•Cries when sucking on the bottle
•Swollen, red gums
•Loose stools(because excess saliva is swallowed)

Dr. Alan Singer, a pediatrician in Scottsdale, Arizona says; “teething does not cause fever or colds. When a baby is teething, she may not be sleeping or eating as well as she should. This may lower her resistance which sometimes makes it more difficult to fight off viral infections. Do your best to get her to stick to her regular eating and sleeping schedule to allow her immune system to stay strong and fight off those nasty bugs?”
The following tips should help those sore gums feel better.

•Let the baby gnaw on a frozen, white washcloth that is free from soap residue. If you use a colored washcloth, there is a slight chance that the dye may get into the baby’s mouth.

•Frozen bagels are great for teething.

•Frozen bananas are not only soothing but supply lots of nutrients.

•Make a fruit juice Popsicle by mixing some 100% fruit juice and water into a paper cup. A good ratio to use is ¼ fruit juice to ¾ water. Babies don’t need the extra sugar. Insert a wooden Popsicle stick in the middle and freeze. Frozen treats make any baby’s gums feel better.

•Give your baby teething rings that can go into the refrigerator or freezer. When babies’ gums hurt, cold usually feels better than warm.

•Try freezing her binky, very soothing.

•Fill a clean, white athletic sock with ice cubes. Put the baby in her high chair and let her gnaw away.

•Teething biscuits feel good, but watch her carefully as large pieces can break off.

•Try using homeopathic teething tablets or gel. The tablets will dissolve in seconds, taking the edge off the pain. These tablets contain homeopathic ingredients that not only treat the pain, but the irritability as well. The Hyland Company® makes very good teething products.

•Look in your baby store for a product by Munchkin® called the Fresh Food Feeder. It is a small basket that has enough room to put frozen strawberries, a piece of frozen cantaloupe or a piece of frozen banana. It has a cover to close and a handle for the baby to hold. The basket will let baby get the soothing coolness from the fruit without your having to worry about large pieces breaking off.

•A does of liquid, infant acetaminophen (but only as recommended by your pediatrician) will relieve the pain for a few hours.

Remember; NEVER leave your baby unattended anytime you give her any type of food.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following: massage your baby’s gums starting at two months of age with a finger massager. (found in most baby stores) Once a tooth pops through use a soft, infant toothbrush to clean the tooth after each bottle. Start dental visits at one year of age if baby’s teeth are in. Dental cleanings should start at two years of age and x-rays will be taken as soon as there are no spaces between the teeth. Try and have your toddlers rinse their mouth with water each time they eat or drink something.

Teething…Hang in there, before you know it those little white teeth will add to her beautiful smile!

Blythe Lipman is the president of Baby Instructions. She is passionate about babies, toddlers and their parents. After working in the field for over twenty-five years, she wrote her second award-winning book, MORE…HELP! MY BABY CAME WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS. Her book is available at here, Borders books, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble. Contact Blythe at babyinstructions@cox.net. She is available for in-home, video and telephone consultations.