Teething: What It Causes, What It Does Not, and Safe Relief (Video)

Transcript

Teething: Facts & Relief

Ever wonder if that drool and crankiness is really teething? Let’s sort out what actually happens and how to help safely.

Common Myths

People love to blame teething for everything from fevers to rashes. The truth is, most of those symptoms aren’t caused by a tooth breaking the surface. Teething itself only brings a few simple signs.

Quick Fact

Teeth do not cause fever. Germs do. A hot, teething baby is a baby with an infection.

When teeth come, and in what order

The first tooth usually shows up between four and ten months, often around six, and it’s usually one of the bottom front pair. The top front pair follows, then the side teeth, first molars around a year, canines, and finally the second molars near the end of the second year. By two and a half to three years most kids have all twenty milk teeth. If there’s no tooth at twelve months, it’s usually fine; if none by eighteen months, it’s worth a quick chat with a dentist.

What teething does cause

What you’ll actually see is a lot more drool, sometimes a red, chapped chin or neck. Babies will chew on anything, even you, and the gum where the tooth is coming may look sore, red, or swollen. Occasionally a tiny bluish blister appears over the spot, and you might notice the baby rubbing the ear or cheek on that side.

What teething does not cause

Teething does not bring a true fever, diarrhea, vomiting, cough, runny nose, chest infection, body rash, or a long spell of inconsolable crying. Those signs usually point to something else, often an infection that shows up as the baby’s maternal antibodies wane and they start exploring the world with their mouths.

Safe relief, by age

For babies under six months, a clean finger rubbed gently on the gum, a chilled (but not frozen) clean flannel, extra cuddles, and shorter, more frequent feeds can be soothing. Nothing should go in the mouth except milk, no gels, honey, ghee, herbal powders, or anything like that. From six to twelve months you can add a fridge-chilled teething ring, a cold flannel, and soft cold foods like chilled yogurt, mashed banana, or cucumber chunks once solids have started.

In the old houses

In older homes teething was seen as a dangerous passage, so charms like black thread, copper rings, and amber necklaces became common. The useful bits that survived are the simple ones: a cold cloth, a clean finger, a cuddle, and patience. Anything worn around the neck or rubbed into the mouth should stay away.

The teething-and-infection trap

Because teeth and infections appear at the same age, ask a different question: is the baby ill? Check the temperature, count wet diapers, watch the breathing. A baby who is drooling, chewing, feeding, wetting diapers, and smiling between grumbles, without a true fever, is likely just teething. If the baby is hot, feeding poorly, floppy, vomiting, breathing fast, or has watery stools, it’s time to call a doctor.

Worth knowing first

Never use teething gels that contain lidocaine or benzocaine, and avoid homeopathic tablets that may hide belladonna. Keep necklaces, bracelets, or anklets off the baby entirely. No honey before one year, no alcohol on the gums, and always keep anything you give in the fridge, never the freezer.

Take Care

For more details, read the full post on thecareonline.com. This is general guidance, not a substitute for professional medical advice.