A toddler begins to grow their first set of teeth when they are 6 months or even a year old. Since there is no fixed time when this process begins, it is always better to be aware of the indicators of the teething phase for babies. You also won’t know how long it will take for a tooth to push through that little gum. The baby may be troubled for just a few days before a tooth emerges. But they could also show all the symptoms of teething for months with nothing to show for it.
The good news is that the baby’s first few teeth will probably be the worst. The next few teeth may come through more easily.
The bottom front teeth (incisors) are the first to come through. Babies don’t understand pain and have different ways of communicating their discomfort. Thus before the teeth are visible underneath the gums, these are some signs you could watch out for.
- Constant need to gnaw or bite
- Sensitive and puffy gums
- Excessive drooling
- Cranky behavior, especially at night.
- Pulling their ear
Most children will have all of their milk teeth by the time they are two and a half years old. Ensuring that the baby has a healthy teething phase will reflect in the later stages as great oral health.
Here are tips on how to ease the teething phase for babies:
- Give a gentle gum massage. Use a clean finger and press on the gums softly to numb the pain temporarily.
- Use teethers for the babies to bite on. Try natural products like cold & hard vegetable, but there could be a risk of it chipping and choking the child.
- Keep the areas around the mouth clean, especially after eating or drooling to prevent further rashes or sores.
