Teething usually starts about halfway during the first year within the first 6–8 months of life with the front teeth tending to emerge first. During teething, a baby may feel pain and discomfort.
People often believe that teething can cause symptoms such as a runny nose, fever, pain, irritability, and sleep problems, but experts & doctors disagree.
The first teeth to release are the front teeth at the top or bottom of the mouth, known as the incisors. The rate & order of the other teeth can differ from one baby to another. They may have a complete set of 20 teeth by 30 months.
The teething period for each tooth takes about 8 days. It starts 4 days before the tooth gets out through the gum and lasts for 3 days afterward. This called tooth eruption.
The American Dental Association (ADA) highlights the following timeline of the usual ages at which baby teeth emerge:
- lower central incisors (the bottom front two teeth): 6–10 months
- upper central incisors (the top front two teeth): 8–12 months
- upper lateral incisors (at either side of the central incisors): 9–13 months
- lower lateral incisors (at either side of the central incisors): 10–16 months
- upper first molars (behind the upper canines): 13–19 months
- lower first molars (behind the lower canines): 14–18 months
- upper canines: 16–22 months
- lower canines: 17–23 months
- lower second molars: 23–31 months
- upper second molars: 25–33 months
There are several indication that a baby is teething, including:
- increased crying
- increased irritability
- drooling
- biting on objects
- cheek rubbing
- ear pulling
- a rash around the mouth, neck, or chest, caused by drooling
- a slight elevation in temperature, but not a fever
These symptoms can be mistaken for a minor cold — such as a fever, a runny nose, fussiness, or poor appetite — for symptoms of teething.
A parent can take some steps to ease discomfort during teething:
- providing a rubber teething toy to satisfy the urge to bite or chew
- rubbing the gums for a few minutes at a time to help prevent cheek-rubbing
- applying moisturizing ointment to the cheeks to help prevent a rash
- keeping the area around the mouth, cheeks, and neck as clean and dry
- spending more time comforting the baby
- providing a safe dosage of a pain medication suitable for infants
Parents should avoid some approaches to teething that can be dangerous for babies:
1- Freezable teething rings : it becomes very hard in the freezer and can hurt a baby’s gums
2-Topical pain relievers: avoid using topical pain relief medications, such as creams or gels, on infants’ gums , applying too much can cause the baby to swallow due to the excessive amount.
However, a parent should visit the doctor if the baby has a fever higher than 38°C, with or without additional symptoms. It may indicate that the baby has an infection. If your baby has diarrhea, you should contact the doctor because Diarrhea may lead to dehydration.
As babies are beginning to interact more with the wider world and are becoming increasingly exposed to childhood illnesses. Between the baby ages of 6 and 30 months, you need to know that when the teeth come in, and the immune system of your baby changes. During this period, the protection that an infant was born with and may have received through breastmilk starts to decrease. the baby starts to chew on things during the teething process, and this can expose them to germs.
Teething is unlikely to cause, so you need to call your doctor:
- excessive crying
- a high fever
- a loss of appetite for liquids
- disturbed sleep
- diarrhea or loose stools
- vomiting
- coughing
