When Do You Know If It’s Teething?
If your baby suddenly gets irritable and suddenly wakes up in the middle of their sleep, then you may be looking at teething. Babies would generally start to manifest the symptoms of growing teeth by around 6 months.
First, the central incisors poke out of the gums. Then follows the teeth beside the mouth or the lateral incisors. Followed by the canines and then the molars. The growth and development in which their teeth show can vary from baby to baby. But, one measure you can use to check if they’re still on track is that they should more or less have already completed their 20 baby teeth (10 on each jaw).
Most infants usually exhibit signs of discomfort when they’re teething. As the teeth pushes out and makes their way through the gums to pave the way for permanent teeth.
Symptoms that indicate your baby may be teething are:
- Drooling, which can cause a rash on the chin or face;
- Gum swelling and sensitivity;
- Irritability;
- Biting;
- Sucking fingers and fists; or
- Sleep problems
Most parents observed that having a low-grade fever of less than 101 degrees also indicated teething. However, experts have still yet supported this claim as no study has proven the relationship of having a fever and teething. The same goes with diarrhea. These may however be due to extreme gum inflammation in which case, medical assistance is advised.
As early as the first tooth appears, parents are advised to schedule their first dental appointment. This should not be later than their first year birthday. Even though they are called baby teeth, they serve a purpose. If the baby teeth are not maintained and fall off earlier than expected. This results into improper formation of the teeth causing overcrowding of the jaw.
For the meantime, you can do plenty of first aid pleasers to aide their discomfort. The most common method is to offer a cold teething ring or anything they can chew on. Just be careful and inspect for hard and sharp edges which could puncture their gums. Another thing is to gently massage their gums with a clean wet towel, preferably warm. This helps to loosen the gums and to provide comfort as well.
Keep in mind that baby teeth are very important. Teething shouldn’t also result to severe illnesses such as fever and diarrhea as these signs may be acquainted with possible infections instead.