I have 79 reviews for you to choose from, oh I'm spoiling you! Read any of them, and I will return t...
I have 79 reviews for you to choose from, oh I'm spoiling you! Read any of them, and I will return the favour. A return read on any of them makes me oh so happy too :p Updating older reviews - take a look :)
Member since:04.12.2008
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A baby's first tooth can turn up at any time; all babiesteeth at different ages. Some babies go through teething without any problem and the teeth come through quite fast one after the other or even a few at a time, and for some babies it can take longer, and they may become restless and show more signs of teething. The teething process is quite long, and its takes a while for the tooth to show through. The first tooth usually comes in on average at around 6 - 9 months. This is an exciting time for a parent to see that first little tooth. Your baby should have a full set of 20 milk teeth by the time they reach their third birthday.
Once you notice the first tooth has started to come through, that is the time to get a baby toothbrush and start brushing the tooth, only water is required at first as there is enough fluoride in the water in most places if you are unsure you can check with your health visitor or doctor. Once your baby is older and is capable of knowing how to spit, this is when you can start to use a small amount of toothpaste.
It is a good idea to make brushing your baby's teeth part of the daily routine for them, so they can get used to this, as sometimes they don't always
like to cooperative when it is time to have their teeth cleaned. Try to make it fun, holding them down while they are protesting and crying wont help as they will start to hate having their teeth done. It takes a little practise and patience with some. You can also wipe the teeth clean with a clean cloth and water; I did this at the very first stage of teething, as the teeth are just starting to emerge. I have also learnt that it is a good idea to use mint toothpaste when you do start using it and not one of the various specific children's toothpastes which now seem to come in a variety of different flavours, as I find that my 12 year old daughter is now not keen on the mint flavoured toothpastes. I'm sure you will be taking pictures of your baby smiling showing off their first new tooth.
Signs of teething to look out for
*Irritability/restlessness/grisly.
*Loss of appetite/ Lack of interest in food.
Babies can sometimes lose their appetite a bit during teething, as their gum's can be quite sore so they may show less interest in food, so it is a good idea to go back to soft and mashed foods for a while, I find my son likes a yogurt when he is teething as this requires no chewing and its nice and cold so it is quite soothing.
*Chewing on anything and everything.
*Red gum's, or inflamed gum's and even swollen gum's.
A lot of other symptoms have been noted, but health experts say that a baby should not suffer any serious adverse affects from teething. However if your baby has any other symptoms or you are worried at all then it is wise to seek advice from your health visitor or local GP.
Personally I have not used any teething gels or medication for teething, not sure if I would as my son has not had many problems when his teeth have come through. I have been very lucky so far, as he has so far got 12 teeth come through, all of which have come through quite quickly.
The top front teeth came through first followed by the bottom front teeth which came two at a time, and then the next teeth to come through were the molars, which I thought might be the time when he would be more fussy, but I was quite surprised when I notice all four of the teeth come through at the same time, as soon as one cut through the surface I could see the next one on the opposite side and the same for the top. I notice my son is cutting new teeth when he is biting on everything in site he also ate less 'hard' foods as his gum's were quite sore and swollen.
A lot of dribbling comes with teething, so you may want to make sure you have plenty of good absorbing bibs, or a lot of spare T shirts. It is fairly important to try and keep your babies face and chest dry as the constant dribbling can cause a rash, and it is always easier to prevent a rash than it is to cure it. This is quite hard to achieve when your little one is dribbling constantly, I found by keep dabbing my sons chin dry with a soft flannel and changing his bib or T -shirt when they became quite damp prevented him from getting any rashes. He hasn't really shown any other symptoms with his first lot of teeth.
It is better to provide things for your little one to bite on that are safe for them, as they could bite off small parts of things that could be choked on, so teething aids are more beneficial for this. My son's favourite has been a set of plastic keys that I purchased from Boots.
If your baby is obviously suffering with the teething process, then teething gels may help relieve the discomfort. If you or your baby are really desperate then Calpol is often the choice of pain relief used by many, or regular infant Paracetamol can also be used. However personally I feel that the use of medication for infants should be kept to a bare minimum where possible.
When my son first started teething at 6 months I used to give him a clean flannel, which he loved to chew on, you can also dampen it so it's cold. However do make sure you replace and wash this daily to stop germs from building up on the flannel.
I had a look around for any teething aids, and found the Tommee tippee Gummy Teether (which I purchased from boots) to be the best for the first stage of teething, these are in the shape and style of a dummy that has a curved end and chewy handle. It is the perfect size for little hands, they can also be cooled in the fridge .They were the only teething aid I used in the first stage.
Since then I have bought the Tommee Tippee teething keys. I have found these to be very good. They consist of a plastic ring with three plastic key shaped parts that hang off it with the key section being a soft gel like design.
Once the front teeth were starting to come through, I would give him a slice of dry toast without the crusts, he really loved to gnaw on the toast and eat it! Teething babies enjoy a slice of toast.
I also tried the bikie pegs which I didn't like much as I found they were fiddly and quite messy.
He also quite likes a feeding spoon to chew on, I would recommend to only give this to your child whilst they are either sitting on you or in their highchair to help prevent any risk of injury or accident.
Cold foods can also provide some relief as it will help to sooth the gum's, also a cold drink of water will cool the mouth.
Comfort and distraction can also help; try finding something different for your little one to do to take their mind of off the teething discomfort.
As your baby gets older and once they are on finger foods, carrot sticks cold from the fridge are good for them to chew on, or chunky slices of apple.
I would advise against giving anything frozen, chilled in the fridge is cold enough to help soothe a little ones gum's.
The best treatment is of course lots of cuddles!
I hope this has helped you understand the teething process a little bit better, and will help you through this rather demanding, but wholly satisfying time.
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Advantages: Mmmmm....tricky one...nothing springs to mind!! Disadvantages: Where shall we start.. sleepless nights, earache, seeing your child in pain.......
Advantages: Mmmmm....tricky one...nothing springs to mind!! Disadvantages: Where shall we start.. sleepless nights, earache, seeing your child in pain.......
Dec 4th, 2008
(Jan 23rd, 2009)
very helpful by (100%):
