Teething and New Baby Teeth

Signs, Management and Care

Whether you know them as baby teeth, milk teeth or deciduous teeth your baby’s first teeth are incredibly important. Baby’s first teeth will usually arrive around 3 months, although there is enormous variance on this, with some baby’s getting their first tooth erupting through the gums at 12 months. This is definitely not a developmental milestone for your baby and certainly does not have any influence on your baby’s intelligence, even if the other mums in mother’s group try to make out that it is.

Signs of teething

There are a few common signs of teething and the eruption of a tooth through the gum may cause your baby to:

Dribble more (Check out our article all about “Why babies dribble?”)
Ear pulling (Although this could also be the sign of an earache)
Have inflamed gums, possibly with a small white tooth bud visible
Chew on everything including fingers, toes, hands.
Lose their routine as they feel generally out of sorts.
Show signs of pain and discomfort.

Myths of teething

Anecdotal evidence from mums would have you believe that when your baby is teething they may suffer from:

Nappy rash
Fever
Diarrhoea

The medical community refutes this ‘evidence’ and suggests that these symptoms are more likely to be related to some other cause. Keep this in mind and don’t simply assume that one of theses symptoms is related to teething. If you have concerns about your baby’s health get it checked out.

Managing the baby teething stage

It’s a very difficult thing to watch your baby suffering any kind of pain. Some baby’s breeze through teething and for others it’s a nightmare. Here are a few tips to help manage the teething stage.

Allow your baby to chew on their fingers.
Rub your finger gently across their gums (make sure that it’s washed first)
Let your baby chew on a cloth that has been dipped in ice cold water.
Use teething rings that are chilled.
Talk to your doctor about using a pain relieving mouth gel or a children’s pain reliever such as paracetamol.
Begin cleaning your baby’s teeth before they even poke through by gently rubbing their gums each morning and evening with a clean, damp, gentle cloth. (You can never start a good dental care routine too early).

When do baby teeth erupt

Babies will begin to teeth when it’s right for them. This guide indicates general timings for your baby’s teething stages.