Teething Signs and Symptoms

Ever had a toothache? If you’ve dealt with any kind of dental pain as an adult, then you know: Tooth pain just plain SUCKS. Combine that will an inability to verbalize and a tragic lack of strong painkillers and that equals one thing – a very miserable baby. Here’s what you need to know about teething signs and symptoms…

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• There’s no way to set a date for when your baby’s first tooth will arrive. It can be as early as 3 months, or it might not be until her 6th month. Then again, some babies are born with a tooth or two, and some babies are still gumming their finger foods on their first birthday! Nothing is set in stone.

• Teeth generally arrive in pairs. The first to pop up are usually the two bottom front teeth, followed by the four upper teeth. It will probably be close to her first birthday before she gets her first set of molars in the back of her mouth, and then a secondary set of molars around her second birthday. She should have all her primary teeth by the time she’s around 2 and a half.

• For most babies, the first few teeth are the worst. After that, teething problems tend to subside (at least until it’s time for those pesky molars to come through). And teething is different for each baby, too. Your baby may be cranky for just a few days before a tooth emerges, or she may display all the symptoms of teething for months, with nothing to show for it. Speaking of symptoms, here are the top signs (although every kid won’t have every symptom every time.)

• Heavy drooling
• Flushed cheeks
• Poor/inconsistent appetite
• Disturbed sleep
• Irritability or crankiness
• Sore, swollen, or tender gums
• Chin rash (from the drooling)
• Possible low-grade fever
• Loose stools

• There are ways to help your teething baby feel better, thank goodness. Use them!

If you’ve got a teething baby on your hands, be patient – they really are in that much pain. Of course, so are you, having to watch them suffer. So, take a deep breath, have a glass of wine and know that, this too, shall pass. Eventually.