When a baby’s teeth break through the gums, that process is called teething. Teething generally occurs between 6 to 24 months of age.
The baby can usually experience irritability, swollen and sore gums, and increased dribbling. While this process lasts, infants tend to place objects or fingers into their mouths to ease discomfort. In this situation breastfeeding a teething baby has shown to be very pleasing.
However, there are other things that can follow up this period of time. Symptoms such as fever, cough, diarrhea, and colds can also occur but they are usually rare in babies.
The teething process or differently called odontiasis, usually in medicine, means that a baby’s teeth erupt from the gums. Teething symptoms typically begin several days before teeth begin erupting. The first tooth of a newborn may develop between 4 and 10 months of age, but it usually appears at about 6 months of the little one’s life.
While teeth are erupting through the gum surface, teething usually causes discomfort to the gums and jaws. This is because the tooth moves under the gum tissue, causing the area to appear somewhat red or swollen. It is not uncommon to see a fluid-filled area on the erupting tooth that resembles a “blood blister.”
Some teeth may be more sensitive when they erupt than others. The molars are larger and they can produce more pain and discomfort than the incisors. They erupt gradually and penetrate the tissue more slowly, while the incisors cut the gums more easily and erupt faster.
Symptoms that accompany tooth eruption can be restless sleep, Irregular feeding, and increased salivation. It is also very common for a baby to put its fingers as well as toys on its mouth to bite it because it feels soothing.
At this point, if the teething becomes unbearable, infants tend to rub their cheeks and have intense crying. If parents do not give proper care to the baby, a rash, fever, strong irritability, and diarrhea can happen.
This can clearly answer the question of when do babies start teething and what are the symptoms. You can also try a gentle massage with wet fingers that helps the baby, as well as various supplements that cool the gums and soothe the pain.
Along with soft rubber products that the baby bites and thus help to erupt teeth. However, whatever you do, always consult your pediatrician first who will give you useful advice.
When do babies start to feel the pain of teething?
Babies usually get their first tooth at six months of age. Symptoms include mild pain, baby nervousness, refusal of food, and putting a finger in its mouth. They can also put different objects, blankets, or toys to soothe the pain. The gums will turn white and a small blister may appear at the site of the first tooth eruption.
The four incisors in the center emerge first. The next step is to perform four lateral incisions around the 8th month. By its first birthday, your baby should have six teeth.
Baby’s first molars appear between the 10th and 14th month of baby life, followed by four canines between the 16th and 20th month. Between the 24th and the 30th month, four more molars will erupt.
Parents should be aware that all babies are different, and this order and time of tooth appearance are average. All these deviations generally do not represent any disease, because each baby reacts differently to the eruption of teeth.
Sometimes it is necessary to consult a pediatrician or dentist who will prescribe supplements or medications that will facilitate the eruption of the first teeth and reduce the pain and nervousness of your baby. One thing is for sure the tooth fairy will come and visit, and give the needed support.
How old do babies have to be before they start teething?
On average, the first tooth erupts between the sixth and eighth month, first the central incisors, later the molars, and then the canines. Teeth appear when the time is right, which is different for each baby.
However, some babies have natal teeth right after birth. These teeth are not fully developed and their roots tend to be weak.
In these situations, it is necessary to consult a dentist to determine what the teeth are. If the tooth is firm, it should not be removed, but if it is shaking, it should be removed. Because there is a possibility that the baby will swallow it when it falls out. There will be an empty space until the permanent teeth come out.
Some babies do not have teeth for up to a year, which does not mean that your baby is sick. It is necessary to contact a dentist who will determine that the teeth are under the gums and are just waiting for the right moment to erupt.
So, there are no rules when white pearls will appear on your newborn. It should be borne in mind that both the time of eruption of teeth and the order of eruption can be different.
The complete eruption of the tooth ends by the child’s third year at the latest. Later, as time passes by, the jaw develops and places are made for permanent teeth. The permanent adult teeth will start growing from the age of six.
Do you get diarrhea when your baby is teething?
There are many symptoms when babies start to grow teeth, but medical experts say that diarrhea is not a symptom of tooth growth. Parents have a different experience, so they assume diarrhea can occur during a tooth eruption.
So, when do babies start teething and what are the symptoms, know that bad digestion is not one of them. There are a lot of different signs telling you your baby is teething but diarrhea is not one.
When the teeth start to cut the gums, it is very uncomfortable for the baby. Symptoms that usually occur are irritation of the gums that become white or slightly red, and blisters that appear at the site of the eruption of the first tooth. Baby tends to be nervous, usually refuses food, places its fingers in the mouth often, has increased drooling, and all these can result in irritated cheeks.
At this point, the rash has appeared on its cheeks, and since it all irritates the baby, they tend to cry. This is how babies express their feelings. In rare cases, fever may occur.
If the baby gets a temperature higher than 100.6°F or 38°C, it can be a sign of a bacterial infection. So, parents should remove all objects from the baby because he or she will put them into their mouth which can increase the infection.
In order to make these hard times bearable for your baby, you can give him/her a soft rubber ring that is specially made for the infant’s first teeth. You can even cool them down in the refrigerator first, but do not freeze them, sterilize them, and give them to your baby.
In some cases, newborn infants may have more frequent urination associated with diarrhea. These are much stronger symptoms and it is necessary to contact a pediatrician.
Summary
The time of teething can be very difficult for the baby but for the parents as well. Moms and dads are usually afraid that the baby is hurting and they can’t help them alleviate that pain.
So, even before this period starts, many of you ask when do babies start teething and what are the symptoms? To make things clear right away, all babies are different. Therefore, teething can start in different periods, and they are not strictly determined.
Some teething time frames occur between 6 to 24 months of the infant’s life. The symptoms are different but usually teething is accompanied by redness, irritation, nervousness, tenderness, and crying of the child. In some cases, higher temperatures can happen which is a sign of infection.
At this point the baby should be taken to get examined by the doctor as soon as possible, so you can stop any further contamination.
