Baby Teething Symptoms, Signs and Remedies
Experiencing each stage in a child's life can be extremely exciting, however it can also be a nerve wrecking experience. Baby teething is one of those experiences which most parents dread. But the truth is that if you are well informed and remain calm, it can be an experience that you will be able to look back on fondly. In order to be able to care for your little one, you will need to understand the symptoms, the remedies as well as know what you can expect.
Is your baby smiling his toothy smile yet?
If your answer is no, there is no need to worry. It is perfectly normal to develop teeth even after your child has celebrated his first birthday.
A lot of parents do get worried and believe that they are not doing something right if their child does not get his first set of teeth by the time he turns one. Frantic visits to your pediatrician including your family dentist are the norm for most anxious parents. Here is something you should consider which will help you stay calm. Have you ever heard of any cases where a child has no teeth at all? Obviously the answer is no. Even children who receives much lesser food and nutrients than your child usually get all their teeth. So, although your child is a bit late, he will be fine, and in no time at all he will start getting all his teeth.
On an average, Baby teething age starts when your child is around 6 months old. However, there are exceptions to this case, with children being born with a tooth to others getting their first set of teeth well after their first birthday. The important thing to understand is that each child develops in their own time including when their teeth will appear, and no matter how early or late, your child will have all his teeth by the time he is two and a half years old.
Check out this article on for more information on baby teething age.
Is your baby showing signs of teething?
Many parents tend to blame every form of infant and toddler illness on teething. Viral fever is often left untreated as teething fever and a lot of rashes that children are prone to at that stage are also passed off as teething rashes. Teething symptoms vary from child to child. While some children may experience a lot of discomfort, others may not show any signs at all.
However, there is some amount of discomfort such as itchy and swollen gums, a slight rise in temperature, irritability, chewing on anything that seems to comfort them, being more demanding than usual, which you can expect. As long as your child is not seriously ill or running a high temperature, you don't have to panic. These symptoms are normal and should go away within 3 to 5 days. Usually these symptoms disappear as soon as the tooth appears.
If you would like more information on baby teething symptoms, do check out articles on them such as the truth about baby teething fever and teething rash.
Knowing the order of your baby's tooth development
Teeth, however early or late do come in a particular order. The four central incisors come first, followed by the 4 side incisors. This is followed by the 4 back molars, and then the 4 canine teeth with 4 more back molars appearing last, completing the 20 primary teeth present in children.
Like to find out more on baby teething order? If yes check out our detailed article on the subject of baby teeth order.
My baby's teething...... what can I do?
While a lot of people prefer home remedies to help soothe teething, there are an equal number who completely trust medicated teething products such as teething gels, teething powder and pellets such as Humphrey's teething tablets.
Each family has their share of advice to pass on when it comes to dealing with a teething child. From teething necklaces to applying honey on the gums, each family has their traditional ways of soothing a teething child. While medical methods are usually guaranteed to work, the safest way to comfort a child is by brushing his teeth and gums or rubbing his gums gently with a clean finger.
For more options, do check out our other articles on baby teething solutions including baby teething remedies, Baltic amber teething necklaces, Humphreys teething tablets as well as teething powders.
Although the teething stage is a difficult one, it does pass away quickly, almost too quickly for some parents.