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Tips and Tricks to Ease Teething Pain
Filed under: Babies, Health & Safety: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Toddlers & Preschoolers
Let your child chew on a teething ring. Credit: Getty Images
Teething can be a frustrating time for everyone involved. For kids, getting their first 20 teeth can be a painful process. For parents, it's a confusing one, since the baby can't tell you what's wrong. So, we turned to a few pediatricians to answer our questions.
At what age do which teeth come in?
"The temporary teeth come in between the age of 6 months to 1 year in most children," says Dr. Gaurav Gupta, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and pediatrics expert at JustAnswer.com.
The common schedule looks something like this:
- 6 to 7 months: Incisors (two central bottom and two central top teeth)
- 7 to 9 months: More incisors (two top, two bottom)
- 10 to 14 months: First molars (four teeth closer to the back of the mouth)
- 15 to 18 months: Canines (four pointed teeth near the front)
- 2 to 3 years: Second molars (four more teeth at the back of the mouth)
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), parents should try the following:
- Rub the gum with a clean finger, cool spoon or wet gauze pad.
- Offer your child a clean teething ring to chew on.
- Let them chew on a pacifier.
- Ask your pediatrician for a recommendation of a numbing gel or salve or an over-the-counter pain reliever.
"If there are no teeth by age 12 months, they should talk to their doctor," says Dr. David Hill, an adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at UNC Medical School in North Carolina and colleague of Gupta at JustAnswer.
According to the ADA, babies may become fussy and irritable, have trouble sleeping, drool and lose their appetite -- all signs that should not worry parents. But Hill warns parents not to attribute a fever over 102 degrees or severe diarrhea to teething.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
12-29-2010 @ 12:17PM
Alicia said...My parents preferred whiskey, my stepmother used brandy. know it's not PC, but I've seen my cousins try numbing salve vs booze with their kids. Whiskey seemed to ease the pain without as much drooling.
Reply
12-30-2010 @ 5:47AM
fairyofdeath389 said...my mom used a "sugar tit" with us its basically a towel full of sugar that is on the thin side with no loose fluffy strands and when the kid chews on it the sugar hardens and helps cut the teeth though im not sure if it does anything for the pain
Reply
12-30-2010 @ 11:10AM
SherryQ said...My mother would do the whiskey thing. But that was the cheapest and easiest way. Also anything cold on the gums was good too. Save money next time you shop. Use Http://bit.ly/dailysample and their coupon page.
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12-30-2010 @ 11:51PM
Alicia said...Yep. Those rubber teething rings that freeze easily were a godsend when my cousin's kid was teething.
3-06-2011 @ 3:44PM
katie said...Also remember to take your baby to the dentist soon after their first tooth erupts. The ADA recommends this "well baby" check so the dentist can check for decay and provide advice to the parents. Our dentist at First Choice Dental also gave us advice on fluoride use.
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