by Katherine D

Created on: September 02, 2010

The term teething refers to the eruption of new teeth through the gums of your infant. For many parents this is a new and worrisome time in their infant’s development. But worry not teething is a natural process and the discomfort can be easily eased using a few well tried tips and tricks.

 It is first important that parents know the process of teething; this is a course that rarely varies from child to child. Teething may begin in an infant as young as 2 months but usually the first tooth does not appear until around 6 months of age. The first teeth to appear are usually the lower central incisors; they are followed by the upper central incisors, lower lateral incisors, upper lateral incisors, cuspids’, and finally the molars. This development will continue until all 20 “baby teeth” (primary teeth) have emerged from the gums. As the teeth penetrate the gums some parents may notice redness and swelling around the site of the eruption, seeing a blood blister like fluid sack over the emerging tooth is also a common occurrence during teething.

 Some infants may show no discomfort at all during the teething process and parents may feel that teeth simply appear over night, other infants will experience mild discomfort and teething can be diagnosed through the following signs and symptoms;

 - Increased drooling

- Restless of decreased sleep due to gum discomfort

- Fussiness that comes and goes

- Mild rash around the mouth area

- Rubbing of the cheek or ear area due to pain and discomfort

 It is important to know that teething does NOT cause;

 - Fever (especially over 101 degrees)

- Diarrhea, runny nose and coughing

- Prolonged fussiness

- Rash on the body

 Any sign of these symptoms should be discussed with your health-care professional.

 At home treatment for teething irritation is simple and straight forward, long gone are the days though when parents rubbed alcohol on their infants gums to ease pain and discomfort. Some tried and tested techniques to ease your infants teething woes are;

 Pressure, using a clean finger or wet cloth gently rub or allow your child to bite down easing the pain of the emerging teeth.

Cold, a cold or frozen cloth is a common cure for teething soreness allowing your child to hold this cold object in their mouth will help to quickly ease any pain they are experiencing on the site of the eruption. There are also many store bought products that allow your child a better grip

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