When do babies start teething. What are the signs of teething in infants. How to soothe a teething baby. Which baby teeth come in first. What is the typical teething timeline for infants.

The Teething Process: What Parents Need to Know

Teething is a significant milestone in a baby’s development, often accompanied by various symptoms that can be challenging for both infants and parents. Understanding the teething process can help caregivers better support their little ones through this transitional phase.

When Does Teething Typically Begin?

Teething usually starts between 4 to 7 months of age, but it’s important to note that every baby is unique. Some infants may begin teething as early as 3 months, while others might not see their first tooth until after their first birthday. Interestingly, teething symptoms can appear 2 to 3 months before a tooth actually emerges, which can lead to prolonged discomfort for some babies.

7 Common Signs That Your Baby Is Teething

Recognizing the signs of teething can help parents provide timely comfort and care. Here are seven common indicators that your baby might be teething:

1. Increased biting behavior
2. Excessive drooling
3. Heightened fussiness, especially at night
4. Changes in sleep patterns
5. Mild symptoms like low-grade fever, rashes, cough, or diarrhea
6. Decreased appetite
7. Pulling of ears and rubbing of chin and cheeks

Increased Biting: A Natural Response to Teething Discomfort

Why do teething babies tend to bite more? As teeth begin to push through the gums, babies often seek relief by applying counter-pressure. This instinctive response leads to increased biting on various objects, including toys, teething rings, and sometimes even their caregivers’ fingers or breasts during feeding.

The Drool Deluge: Understanding Excessive Saliva Production

Excessive drooling is a hallmark of teething. But why does this happen? The body produces extra saliva to lubricate and soothe tender, swollen gums. This increased saliva production can sometimes lead to facial rashes or coughing as the excess saliva pools at the back of the throat.

The Teething Timeline: Which Baby Teeth Come in First?

Understanding the typical order of tooth eruption can help parents anticipate and prepare for each stage of teething. While there can be variations, here’s a general timeline of when you can expect different teeth to appear:

• Lower central incisors: 6-10 months
• Upper central incisors: 8-12 months
• Upper lateral incisors: 9-13 months
• Lower lateral incisors: 10-16 months
• First molars: 13-19 months
• Canines: 16-22 months
• Second molars: 23-33 months

By the age of 3, most children will have all 20 of their primary teeth. However, it’s important to remember that this timeline can vary significantly from child to child.

Soothing Strategies: How to Comfort a Teething Baby

While teething can be uncomfortable for babies, there are several strategies parents can employ to help alleviate discomfort and soothe their little ones:

Cold Therapy: A Simple Yet Effective Remedy

How can cold help soothe teething pain? Cold numbs the gums, providing temporary relief from pain and inflammation. Parents can offer chilled (not frozen) teething rings, cold washcloths, or even cold foods for older babies to gnaw on.

Pressure Application: Counteracting Teething Discomfort

Applying gentle pressure to the gums can help alleviate teething pain. This can be achieved through teething toys, a clean finger, or specially designed teething mittens. The pressure helps counteract the sensation of teeth pushing through the gums.

Natural Remedies: Herbal Solutions for Teething Relief

Some parents find success with natural remedies such as chamomile tea. How can herbal remedies help? Herbs like chamomile have natural calming properties that may help soothe irritated gums. A washcloth soaked in cooled chamomile tea and frozen can serve as a soothing teether.

Teething Myths Debunked: Separating Fact from Fiction

There are many myths surrounding teething that can lead to unnecessary worry or inappropriate treatments. Let’s address some common misconceptions:

Myth: Teething Causes High Fevers

While some babies may experience a slight increase in body temperature during teething, high fevers (over 101°F or 38.3°C) are not typically associated with teething. If your baby has a high fever, it’s important to consult with a healthcare provider as it may indicate an unrelated illness.

Myth: Teething Causes Severe Diarrhea

While some babies may experience looser stools during teething, severe or prolonged diarrhea is not a typical teething symptom. If your baby has persistent diarrhea, it’s important to monitor for signs of dehydration and consult with a pediatrician.

When to Seek Professional Help: Red Flags During Teething

While teething is a normal process, there are instances when parents should seek medical advice. Here are some situations that warrant professional attention:

• High fever (101°F or higher)
• Severe or prolonged diarrhea
• Significant decrease in fluid intake or signs of dehydration
• Extreme irritability or lethargy
• Swollen, red gums that appear infected

If you observe any of these symptoms or have concerns about your baby’s teething process, don’t hesitate to consult with your pediatrician.

Dental Care for Baby Teeth: Starting Good Habits Early

As soon as your baby’s first tooth emerges, it’s time to start thinking about dental care. Establishing good oral hygiene habits early can set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy teeth.

When to Start Brushing Baby Teeth

When should you start brushing your baby’s teeth? It’s recommended to begin cleaning your baby’s gums even before the first tooth appears. Once teeth start coming in, use a soft-bristled, infant-sized toothbrush with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice) to gently brush twice a day.

The Importance of Baby Teeth

Why are baby teeth important if they’re going to fall out anyway? Primary teeth play crucial roles in a child’s development, including:

• Facilitating proper speech development
• Allowing for adequate nutrition through chewing
• Maintaining space for permanent teeth
• Contributing to facial structure and appearance

Caring for baby teeth sets the stage for a healthy permanent smile and overall well-being.

Teething and Breastfeeding: Navigating Challenges

Teething can present unique challenges for breastfeeding mothers and babies. Here are some tips to help navigate this period:

Dealing with Biting During Breastfeeding

How can mothers handle biting during breastfeeding? If your baby bites while nursing, try these strategies:

• Immediately remove the baby from the breast and firmly say “no biting”
• Offer a teething toy before nursing to satisfy the urge to bite
• Watch for signs that your baby is finished feeding to prevent boredom biting

Maintaining Milk Supply During Teething

Some babies may nurse less frequently when teething due to discomfort. To maintain your milk supply, consider pumping between feedings if your baby is nursing less. Remember, this phase is temporary, and most babies return to their normal feeding patterns once the tooth has emerged.

Teething is a significant milestone in your baby’s development, and while it can be challenging, it’s also an exciting time. By understanding the process, recognizing the signs, and knowing how to provide comfort, parents can help their little ones navigate this transition with greater ease. Remember, every baby is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Patience, observation, and a little trial and error will help you find the best ways to support your teething baby.

7 Signs Your Baby is Teething

Is your baby showing teething symptoms, or are they fussy for some other reason? If baby is exhibiting any of these seven signs, she is almost certainly teething.

Whether it’s brushing those teeth after they finally arrive or waiting for them to come in, baby teeth sure cause a lot of trouble! The process of getting these teeth can be effortless or excruciating depending on your baby. Even with minor cases, most babies show some teething symptoms.

When Do Babies Start Teething?

The tricky thing about teething is that symptoms can start 2 to 3 months before a tooth surfaces! This can be brutal for baby and family if there’s a lot of discomfort.

Teething Symptoms: How Do You Know If Your Baby is Teething?

Watch this video to find out.

The key is to look for these seven teething symptoms

1.

Biting more than usual

This teething symptom will turn your baby into a vampire. Bite, bite, bite on anything from plastic spoons, to toys, to your breast. Griffin liked chewing on hard plastic things the best., but there’s a plethora of teething toys on the market which may also help.

2. Excessive drool

When babies are still newborns, they’re still learning how to swallow their saliva—this causes excessive drooling. Fast forward to teething, and the drooling starts again (or never stops in some cases). When baby is teething, the body creates extra saliva to lubricate the tender and bulging gums.

3. Fussier than usual, especially at night

These teething symptoms make babies who once slept through the night start to wake up several times for comfort. In the quiet hours of night, a baby often feels the teething pain more because there are fewer distractions.

4. Disturbances in sleep patterns

Because of teething discomfort, babies will usually nap less and wake up earlier in the morning. Fun times for all involved with these teething symptoms!

5. Fever, rashes, cough, and diarrhea

Although some doctors disagree, many mamas detect a slight fever (under 100 degrees) in their babies when teeth are imminent. Additionally, the extra drool can cause facial rashes, chafing, and coughing, since it pools at the back of the throat. Some babies even develop diaper rash and diarrhea.

6. Decreased appetite

When babies are in pain, they generally don’t want to eat, especially since it triggers their sore spots. Keep trying to feed them as much as possible, despite the resistance. Call your doctor if baby’s caloric input decreases dramatically.

7. Pulling of ears and rubbing of chin and cheeks

Babies can be quite resourceful and administer self massage. By pulling and rubbing around their jaw, they create counter pressure that eases some of the pain and throbbing.

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Baby Teeth Chart: Which Baby Teeth Come In First?

If your little baby is acting different lately because of teething symptoms, take heart there’s good reason. Soon enough, her little pearly whites will surface. Here’s a quick look at which baby teeth come in first:

Baby Teeth Chart What Order Do They Come In chart by Mama Natural

For more on which baby teeth come in first, check out this whole post on the subject.

Baby Teething Pain Relief

While all of these baby teeth come in, we don’t have to be victims to teething symptoms. There are some great things we can do to comfort baby in the midst of the teething process:

1. Lower inflammation: Inflammation from teething stimulate nerves, causing pain.
2. Boost the immune system: There is some debate whether teething lowers the immune system, or whether the emergence of colds and fevers while teething is simply a coincidence. Either way, boosting baby’s immunity can’t hurt.
3. Apply cold and pressure: Cold helps numb the area, while pressure soothes inflamed gums.
4. Try teething toys: Safe and non-toxic objects that baby can chew apply counter pressure to aching gums.
5. Herbal remedies: To help ease teething pain, make an herbal tea, soak a washcloth, freeze it, then let baby chew on it.

Want to learn more? Check out my full post on effective teething remedies.

How About You?

What teething symptoms did your baby have?

Is My Baby Teething? Check our Baby Teething Chart to Find Out

One joy of parenthood is watching your little one reach milestones. It’s common to celebrate a baby crawling or walking for the first time. But these aren’t the only milestones to look forward to. You might even celebrate your baby’s first tooth.

Here’s what you need to know about teething, as well as what you can do to make the experience more comfortable for your baby.

Baby teeth erupt, or come in, gradually at different times. Typically, you can expect your baby to have all 20 of their primary teeth by the age of 3. Keep in mind, though, the timing that teeth appear can vary from child to child.

Here’s a general guideline when you can expect each tooth to erupt:

Lower teeth

• central incisor: 6–10 months
• lateral incisor: 10–16 months
• canine (cuspid): 17–23 months
• first molar: 14–18 months
• second molar: 23–31 months

Upper teeth

• central incisor: 8–12 months
• lateral incisor: 9–13 months
• canine (cuspid): 16–22 months
• first molar: 13–19 months
• second molar: 25–33 months

Eventually, 32 permanent teeth will replace your child’s 20 primary teeth.

The time frame for children losing their primary teeth also varies from child to child. In most cases, this takes place over a course of about 6 years.

Children initially shed or lose their central incisor teeth around 6 or 7 years old. The last teeth to fall out are the canines and molars. Most children lose these teeth by age 12.

While some babies get their first tooth around 6 months old, teething can start a little earlier or a little later. Some babies have their first tooth erupt as early as 3 months old, but other babies don’t get their first tooth until 12 months old or older.

As you see the first signs of a tooth, your baby may seem to experience discomfort and pain. This might make sleep and eating difficult for a short time, and your baby might cry more often.

Common symptoms of a teething baby include:

• increased drooling
• possible reduced appetite for solids
• irritability
• biting and chewing
• gum rubbing

If your baby is between 3 and 12 months old and develops these symptoms, they may be cutting a tooth and there’s likely no cause for alarm.

But it’s important to note that some symptoms are not associated with teething. These symptoms include:

• fever
• facial rash
• cough and congestion
• diarrhea or vomiting
• reduced appetite for liquid foods

If your baby develops any of these signs and symptoms, don’t assume it’s from teething, and contact your pediatrician if symptoms persist or your baby seems sick.

Teething pain can make your little one miserable and irritable. Soreness and pain can occur for some babies as the tooth erupts through their little gums. Other babies may not display any signs or symptoms related to teething.

You might see some crankiness and a lot of tears — but you can make this transition easier for your baby. The trick is making their gums as comfortable as possible.

Massage baby’s gums

If it seems to comfort them, gently massage your baby’s gums with a clean finger. Be gentle, but apply firm pressure. This increases blood flow to your baby’s gum tissue which may reduce inflammation and pain.

Use a cool compress

Applying coolness to your baby’s gums can also reduce discomfort. Some parents will chill a teething ring in the refrigerator (not freezer!), and then give it to their baby to chew on.

You can also apply a cold spoon to your baby’s sore gums. As a precaution, only use a cold spoon if your baby doesn’t have teeth yet. Chewing on a metal spoon could accidentally chip their delicate teeth.

Consider pain medication

Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also reduce pain. When used correctly, pain relievers are safe to give to babies. These medications can reduce pain associated with teething, but should only be used occasionally.

Be sure to consult your doctor before giving medication to children under 2 years old, or if you’re feeling like you need to give pain relievers for more than a day or two.

Do not use topical gels

There are topical numbing gels containing benzocaine or lidocaine to help relieve teething pain on the market.

But these numbing treatments can be harmful to babies and shouldn’t be used, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This group also notes that over-the-counter topical gels (even non-numbing ones) aren’t helpful, since all the drool washes them away anyway.

The Food and Drug Administration also issued a public warning about the use of benzocaine oral gels. These gels can cause a condition called methemoglobinemia, which can be particularly dangerous to children younger than 24 months old.

This condition can reduce the oxygen in the body. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, confusion, headaches, and a rapid heartbeat.

Your baby cutting their first tooth is an exciting milestone — but may also be a painful one. Your little one doesn’t have to suffer, though. Between a gentle massage, a cool compress, and safe pain medication, you can help your baby get through teething with minimal discomfort.

Teething in children after a year

By the first year, most babies have 8 full-fledged milk teeth – front incisors. Although quite often observed late teething in children. This is not a pathology, it’s just laid down at the genetic level.

Even if a child has no teeth at all by the age of one (this happens to one baby in about 2000 thousand), do not despair. As a rule, by the age of 3, maximum – by 3. 5, milk teeth all erupt. And if some teeth are missing, or they are incorrectly located, contact the orthodontist of our clinic. The specialist will determine the cause of such an anomaly and prescribe the appropriate treatment so that permanent teeth appear on time and in full. In this article, we provide answers to the most common questions parents have about baby teeth for babies under 3 years old.

When children’s teeth erupt

When children’s teeth erupt. In most babies, the first teeth erupt from 5-7 months. Although the norm is considered to be three months, and 9-10. There is nothing to worry about, even if a child has several teeth at birth (“Teething of the first teeth – signs and delusions”). It also happens very late teething – about a year, and even later. Especially common in premature babies. If you are concerned about this situation – sign up for a consultation with our specialists – he will study everything and dispel your fears or prescribe treatment, if necessary.

How to check if your child is teething. Very simple. Ideally, from the first days of a baby’s life, a mother should regularly clean and massage the gums with a special nozzle or just a moistened gauze swab on her finger. In this case, the mother will immediately pay attention to changes in the gums – they swell, slightly redden. Although often from the moment of swelling to the birth of a long-awaited tooth, even one and a half to two months pass! Immediately before the appearance of a tooth, a so-called “eruption cyst” may appear (not necessarily!) – such a tubercle above a growing tooth, with a clear liquid, bluish in color.

This is quite normal, the cyst resolves on its own after the gums erupt and does not require any treatment. Immediately during the teething period, the baby’s gums itch, saliva is strongly secreted. There may be an increase in temperature and other reactions of the body, which we described in detail in special articles. You should be careful and differentiate swelling of the gums with the growth of teeth and manifestations of stomatitis (“Stomatitis in infants – types, causes, symptoms”). To make sure that the clove has already been born, it is enough to lightly tap the gum with a coffee spoon – you will hear a characteristic knock.

Until what age do children start teething. Milk teeth in the amount of 20 pieces, as a rule, by the age of 3 everything is available. +/- 4 months is considered normal. For more details, read “Milk teeth in children – photo”.

Temperature during molars eruption in children – occurs much more often than during the eruption of the first teeth up to a year. In general, the eruption of molars (molar) teeth is longer, painful and unpleasant for the baby due to the large area of ​​the tooth. About what complications and reactions can be during this period, and how to make it easier for the baby – in the article “How to help a child when teeth are being cut.”

Causes of delayed teething in babies

Update date: 07/14/2021

Publication date: 07/19/2023

Author: Ishchenko Elena Nikolaevna

• Children’s dentist

Experience: 22 years

Articles written

3

Content:

• Causes of delayed teething
• How to help your baby?

The timing of the appearance of the first teeth is a very individual indicator for each baby. This process depends on many factors, in some cases the very first milk incisors grow from 4 months, and sometimes babies are already born with teeth. It may also happen that the growth of the first teeth of the baby is slightly delayed, and at 10-11-12 months there is still not a single tooth. Should I be worried?

The first teeth usually begin to appear at 5-7 months, and by the first year of life, the baby already has several pairs of first teeth. All parents begin to worry if the teeth are delayed, because the reasons are unknown.

Causes of delay in the appearance of teeth

A lot depends on nutrition: breastfed babies depend on the quality of breast milk. Babies who grow up on artificial mixtures get a little more vitamins and minerals, because the mixtures contain a well-calculated amount of nutrients.

• If a child does not have a single tooth at the age of 1 year, this may be a consequence of some previous disease: intestinal disorders, metabolic disorders, as well as insufficient calcium and vitamin D.
• The teeth may be late due to the special course of pregnancy, perhaps mommy suffered complications during the gestation period./li>
• Eruption after 12 months may mean that the tooth is not properly positioned in the gum, for example growing horizontally.
• Congenital absence of rudiments of teeth in a baby. These are either hereditary disorders or a congenital pathology caused by a failure in the normal course of pregnancy. It happens very rarely.

How can parents understand that at 12 months the baby’s teeth are just late and you need to be patient, and when should you sound the alarm?

Children’s dentists admit that the first teeth are delayed by 6 months, so if after the 1st birthday the baby has not grown a single milk tooth, you should endure a little more. Try to find out from your relatives about the timing and features of the appearance of the first milk teeth in their childhood, perhaps this is just a family feature.

But if the teeth are already more than 6 months late, and the baby’s gums do not think to swell, then you should contact a pediatric dentist. The specialist will conduct an examination and advise what needs to be done to help the teeth appear faster.

In addition to the above reasons, the appearance of teeth after 12 months may be affected by the following:

• The teeth are very tightly packed in the gums.
• There are diseases of the endocrine system, for example, hypothyroidism, due to which the activity of the endocrine glands is reduced.
• The baby suffered serious systemic diseases.

In this case, the pediatric dentist will recommend a biochemical blood test, the baby will need to examine the thyroid gland, with an ultrasound examination. After the results are obtained, the dentist will be able to prescribe the necessary course of treatment.

Make an appointment

How can I help my baby?

Your dentist will first take an X-ray of your baby’s jaw to make sure the baby has teeth inside. If there is, then eruption will happen soon. At first, the gums will swell a little and salivation will become very abundant: these are the main symptoms of the imminent appearance of teeth.