Although it is a natural part of dental development, your baby’s teething is not a picnic. This cycle in which each of their twenty primary teeth slowly erupts through the gums usually starts about their sixth to ninth month, and may not stop until around three years old.
These
frequent eruptions of teeth will cause your baby to bite, gnaw, drool or rub their ears. Teething can also mess with sleep patterns, decrease appetite and cause gum swelling and discomfort that can turn your normally happy baby into an unhappy one.
Managing these episodes of teething is one of the most common subjects parents bring up with their dentists. There is no need for medical intervention because teething is supposed to happen unless the infant also has vomiting, rashes, fever or excessive irritability associated with teething episodes. The best you can do in most situations, is to make your child more secure. Here are some things that will help you do just that.
Cold items for gnawing
Rubber teething rings, wet washing cloths or chilled pacifiers can give your child something to gnaw on and alleviate intense gum pain while the chilled temperatures help reduce pain. But be sure the products aren’t frozen, since extreme cold temperatures will burn their skin.
Gum massage
During a teething episode, you should massage your child’s gums with one of your fingertips to ease the throbbing pressure from the tooth that erupts. Just make sure your finger is clean and don’t use any numbing agents unless your dentist or pediatric tells you to.
OTC medication as prescribed
Using over- the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, you can alleviate mild to moderate teething pain in dosages suited to your child’s age. But don’t apply rubbing alcohol in any pain reliever to the gums or massage— both procedures can burn the skin. And, as described before, with the guidance and supervision of a healthcare professional, just apply numbing agents such as Benzocaine.
In addition to these practices, ensure regular dental check-ups are carried out to track the teething process to ensure that everything is running normally. To remember: although the teething cycle may sometimes seem terrifying, it won’t last forever.
It’s important that you find a reliable pediatric dentist near you to get professional help during your child’s teething phase. Get the best
pediatric dentist near you in Tinley Park IL by clicking
here.
