Baby Teething

While babies getting their first teeth is an occasion worth treasuring, the process is far from easy for the kid. Baby teething causes pain which results in lot of uncomfortable moments for the child. As a parent, we understand that the child’s comfort always comes first to you. So, here in this article, our child dentists have talked about ways to understand when baby teething starts and what needs to be done to assuage the pain and make the kid relaxed during the teething process:

When baby teething starts?

When you notice your child chewing on different types of substances, drooling and feeling irritated around his environment, it usually denotes the onset of baby teething. There is a common myth that fever or diarrhea is a good symptom of the onset of teething, but it could not be farther from the truth.

The kid drools during teething because the process leads to a lot of saliva secretion and the child is usually irritated because the teething process causes a lot of pain to him/her.

The onset is physically felt by you when you can actually notice small protrusions in the gums of your child.

Remedies

1) Pain medications

While medication should not be given to toddlers below 6 months old unless direly needed, pain killers can be given to kids older than 6 months. Tylenol or a pain med like ibuprofen available over the counter can be used occasionally depending on the teething process. It is best that you consult with a dentist on the dosage for the same.

2) Distract them with safe toys

You can buy easily washable and hygienic toys that your kid can gnaw on during the teething process. Whilst the kids can be allowed to play with different toys, make sure that he/she doesn’t swallow it.

3) Reduce the stress of your kid

You can start with by feeding the kid well and ensuring that the child takes sufficient rest. By reducing the stress level of the kid, the child has one less thing to worry about.

4) Give the kid a liquid or a semi-liquid diet

Consuming solid foods can cause inflammation to the child in his/her teeth. It is best that you provide food items like eggs, juices, mashed fruits and seafood so that the child can consume food comfortably.

5) Soothe the child

Items that are frozen or cold like a pacifier, wet cloth or spoon can be given to the kid for gnawing. It is ok if the kid chews on them, just ensure that it is cleaned thoroughly before and after the use. You can also soothe the gums of your toddler by rubbing your clean finger and gently massaging the area. Cold water also helps for older kids.

6) Continue with breastfeeding

Breastfeeding helps increase the toddler’s immune response and gives the necessary nutrients to the kid’s body.

7) Vitamin D

Sunlight not only improves the immune response of the kid, but the baby will also get a chance to explore the outside environment and interact with it.

8) Amber necklaces

You ought to be careful when giving a necklace to a kid because a wrong one can be fatal. Use materials like amber to give a safe and easily cleanable necklace that the kid can gnaw on when he/she is awake. Make sure to remove the necklace when the kid falls asleep.

9) Teething gel

There are gels that help kids when they are in severe pain during teething. Sugar-free gels made of substances like ibuprofen can greatly aid the kid in combating pain by numbing it.

10) Cool drinks

Cold drinks and juices without sugar can help relax the child and offer much needed relief from the pain.

 11) Comfort and distract them

Distract your child by letting them do activities that they love. Also cuddle with them and play with them so that they will not be aware of the teething process.