Teething Terror

Teething TerrorAre you dealing with teething terror? Babies first teeth generally begin to appear between the ages of 4 to 7 months.  Some “late bloomers” don’t get any teeth until 12 months or older.  In rare instances a baby can even be born with a couple.

Experts disagree whether or not teething actually causes any symptoms at all.  Some believe it’s just coincidence that the classic symptoms that some attribute to teething occur.  These symptoms include: drooling, fussiness, gum swelling and sensitivity, biting behavior, refusing to eat, sleep troubles and a low grade fever (below 100.5 degrees fahrenheit). Any raise in temperature above this will warrant a trip to your baby’s health care provider to rule out other causes such as the dreaded ear infections I wrote about in an earlier article.  From my experience, I am convinced that teething definitely causes some if not all of the above symptoms.

Things you can do to ease your baby’s discomfort alleviate teething terror are having them suck on a cold teething ring that has been in your refrigerator or if they are eating solid foods then cold yogurt or applesauce for instance may sooth their aching gums.  Teething biscuits or crackers can also be used and can be purchased at your local grocery store. Sometimes even gently rubbing your child’s gums with your clean finger can temporarily help.  It is generally recommended to try these methods before giving medication such as infant Tylenol or a numbing gel that can be applied with a clean finger or q-tip.

Regardless of the means used (if any) to ease your babies teething pain, it is a temporary but repetitive cycle that comes and goes as new teeth start coming in and others begin to “settle” into place.  The moral of the story is to get baby seen by a health care professional if fever occurs over 100.5 degrees fahrenheit and that there are numerous remedies available to help baby and parents through this difficult time.

PS- Teething terror is not fun! However, do not be discouraged and DO NOT apply whiskey to the gums to numb up the tissue, my grandma did this for my brothers and I and it wasn’t a good thing!

Thanks for reading!!

Brett Davis

Physician Assisitant, Sophia’s Dad

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