Infant teething is a fact of life for all babies. The effects of teething vary from baby to baby. Some will experience a lot of pain and discomfort, which is terrible for the baby and the parents, and others will barely notice the process.
Teething symptoms
It is not uncommon though for infant teething symptoms to result in niggling upsets. Babies will each have their own individual experiences with infant teething symptoms varying from instance to instance. However, it is normal for infant teething to begin when the baby is about six months old. By the time he or she has reached the age of three, all of the teeth should have emerged.
The first teeth that tend to appear are the two bottom front teeth, and these are usually followed 4 to 8 weeks later by the four front upper teeth. Then about a month later the lower lateral incisors will appear, followed by the molars, and then finally the eyeteeth. However the order in which teeth appear will vary from child to child and so do not be alarmed if they do not come in this exact sequence.
The way that this problem has been addressed has also been quite different throughout the ages and may to a large extent is influenced by beliefs of medical practitioners and those of the ordinary common person. In modern ways of dealing with the problem, there are many supportive measures used that help with providing relief from pain for the infant.
There are a number of different things that you can do to help your baby during the infant development teething process.One of the best options is to gently massage their swollen gums with your fingers. Make sure that your hands are clean of course, and then just rub gently back and forth over their gums, as this can help to relieve some of the pressure and pain.
You can also give your child something cold to chew on, depending on how old they are, you can use a cold facecloth, a popsicle, or child teething ring, for instance, and this will be incredibly helpful in terms of taking away some of the intense pain that they are feeling from their teeth breaking through the gums.
You want to make sure that you clean the baby’s gums and teeth as they come up on a regular basis, and never allow your baby to fall asleep with a bottle because this will allow the milk to sit on the gums and can result in causing tooth decay.
Teething can undoubtedly be a traumatic time for all concerned but it won’t last forever. It helps knowing that you at least have ways to help your baby through the process. Just be sure to use only recommended methods, and preferably those which are natural rather than resorting to remedies that may contain alcohol or drugs.
