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Teething Problems in Babies and Toddlers

Updated June 22, 2021
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3 min read

    Teething is a natural process in babies where new teeth are seen erupting through their gums at a certain age. It usually begins in infants as early as 2 months of age. However, the first tooth erupts only after 6 months of age. This marks a big event in your baby’s life. In many cases, babies begin to teeth between 4 - 7 months of age and have a full set of baby teeth by the age 3. However, teething problems in babies are quite often irritable and a tad painful, but it doesn’t necessarily make them ill. In case, they are seen suffering from rashes, diarrhea, high fever, cough and extreme vomiting then consulting a doctor is highly advised for the new to-be parents.

    Another rare condition called the natal teeth is found in some babies on the day of their birth. However, the occurrence of such an incidence is likely to be one out of the 3000 live births. The natal tooth is commonly loose and is usually removed before the baby’s discharge from the hospital to avoid any other health risks.
    Babies have a steady and rapid growth in their preliminary months and hence are seen to face teething troubles in their initial months of development. It’s possible you may find them face numerous difficulties while they’re teething.

    Here is a list of few teething problems in babies:

    • Heavy drooling
    • Unsettled and irritable
    • Red and inflamed gums
    • Red, flushed face or cheeks
    • Bringing hands to the mouth
    • Inconsistency in the feeding pattern
    • Gnawing, or gum rubbing or biting on hard things
    • Rubbing the cheek or ear on the same side of an erupting tooth
    • Alterations in the sleeping pattern during smaller naps and at night
    • Mild rash near the mouth region due to excessive drooling and skin irritation
    Besides these aforementioned teething problems in babies, sometimes a slight rise in temperature is also recorded during that stage. Nonetheless, teething does not cause serious ailment and can be treated just as normal as any other phase during the stage of development. Read more about drool rash and can drooling cause a rash.

    Let us now look at the solutions of soothing a teething baby.

    Teething issues are momentary and do not require severe attention from a doctor or a pediatrician. Since they are small and their gums are tender, offering something cool to nibble on relives the irritability and pressure, thus easing the inflamed gums.
    You can also try your hands on these ideas:

    • Tip 1:

      Use a clean finger to rub over the sore gum of the baby to temporarily soothe the pain.

    • Tip 2:

      Get a teething ring for the baby. Opting a solid, silicone-based teething ring is better than liquid-filled ones because it increases the possibility of leakage and creates difficulty in sterilizing it. Before giving it to your baby, keep it in the fridge for a while. The cold ring will help in numbing the pain.

    • Tip 3:

      If the baby has been weaned, you can also allow her to chew on soft, cooled food like a banana, cucumber as long as you’re close by. Refrain from giving hard food that may have the tendency to break into multiple pieces, causing the baby to choke up.

    • Tip 4:

      You can also give chilled water in a bottle or feeding cup, whichever seems convenient. However, if the baby is old for solid food, then try giving cold fruit puree or plain yogurt.

    • Tip 5:

      Since teething babies exhibit excessive drooling, get a drool cloth to prevent them from severe skin irritation.

    Save these measures, there’ll be times when none of these solutions will ease the little one but your warm hug and cuddle. Hence, it is necessary that parents are made aware of what problems their impending baby might go through when they’re teething and how to subside the problem. Besides, teething marks a prime stage in babies, because their baby teeth begin to emerge as an important milestone in their life. It shows a progression of the timeline as they slowly begin to step into toddlerhood. It is a sign of life evolving in a beautiful process in a human’s lifetime. Right from the time a baby is born to the time it reaches maturity, each stage includes a step-by-step procedure and marks the oncoming of the next phase. So is with teething. Thus, it is wise to stay abreast of the natural problems that involve the growth and development of a baby from a stage-wise perspective.

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