What is Teething?

Just like the first step of a baby or first word, same way a baby’s parents eagerly wait for their first milk tooth also and as much as they are happy for that, it brings along a lot of new responsibilities on them. 

Teething is the process when an infant’s first teeth start to come through the gumline. The teeth typically start to arrive in pairs and mostly the mandibular central incisors are the first primary teeth to erupt. 

Teething usually occurs between 6 and 10 months of age and gives a baby a lot of pain and discomfort. The baby starts to cry more and stay more irritated than usual. It is hard on them and all they can do is cry to show that they are not happy or are in pain. 

What Are the Symptoms That Indicates a Teething Baby?

Parenting is a huge responsibility and it includes noticing even a slight change in an infant’s usual habits and needs. So, if you want to catch on whether your baby has started teething or not, observing your baby for these signs could be of a lot of help:

Dribbling

New born babies drool sometimes, but when they start to drool excessively it may indicate that the baby is teething. Drooling Is not a much issue for the baby but more for parents as they need to clean it frequently in order to prevent any infection or allergies to arise because of bacteria from saliva. 

Gnawing

If you start to notice that your baby is chewing on anything he/she gets a hold on, it is a clear indication of teething. 

Crying

A baby can’t talk or express till usually 1 year of age. So, crying and yelling are their usual means of expressing and asking for things. However, if your baby starts to cry too much and more than sleeping and eating, crying is all he/she does all day long, it may indicate that he has started teething and is in pain or feeling weird due to something new happening to his body. 

Irritation

Imagine whenever we as an adult goes through a cavity or imagine the pain during the wisdom tooth arising from the gumline. We are so irritated and in a lot of pain. So, now imagine a 6-7 months old baby, who can’t speak and express his/herself with any means besides crying. How irritating and overwhelming it is for them right?

Low- Grade Fever

It is not usual but does happen to some infants that during teething their body temperature rises a little up than the normal temperature and a slight fever can be felt. Their skin becomes warmer than usual and also have flushed cheeks due to the raised temperature.

How You Can Help Your Baby During Teething Period?

It is very important to keep in mind that your baby can not say what they want, feeling or suffering from and all they can do is cry, throw things or yell and it can get overwhelming and stressful for parents. Keeping patience, calm and understanding your infant’s needs is very important during the teething period. 

You sure can’t make the pain go away entirely but you can distract the baby from it by playing with him or cuddling him. You can also use some remedies like giving cold food including yogurt, fruits or vegetables to chew on (just make sure to not give any sweet items as they can lead to tooth decay) or offer your baby a sugar-free baby teething biscuit or rusk.

You can also gently massage their gums for them or can give them a firm rubber teething ring to chew on.

Also, make sure of choking hazards and what they are chewing on and playing with during teething, as they can swallow it or even eat something that is harmful for them. 

A Doctor Visit is Needed During Teething?

Though teething is a part of natural growth of a child and the problems and discomfort with it is also normal and natural too, but sometimes the signs and issues with it become abnormal and in this case it is preventable to visit a doctor and get your baby checked. 

Also, in some cases after all the milk teeth have come, the shape and placement of them is not right or good for a child’s health. In this situation, getting dental braces dubai may feel like a big decision but could help with early alignment and improvement in the shape and structure of the teeth and overall appearance of them. Getting braces on a child seems putting them in a hard situation but the earlier the problem is solved, the less painful the solution will be.