Soothing new smiles: teething

A guide to teething

Most babies begin teething between 4 to eight months. Some babies are born with one or two teeth, while others can still have no teeth even at the age of one. In either case there is no cause for concern. The first teeth provide a very rough guide for the second adult teeth. They also affect early speech development, the ability to eat a solid diet, and the overall appearance of your child. Therefore it is important that the first teeth are looked after and that the pain and discomfort associated with teething, is kept to a minimum. Teething can make your baby grizzly or downright miserable. The gum tissue may look red and inflamed and the cheeks flushed. If your baby refuses solid food, then you can offer extra breast or formula milk as well as cooled boiled water. If dribbling is a problem, dab your baby's mouth and chin gently to dry the skin and apply a thin layer of barrier cream for added protection. Ignore old wives tales that teething causes chestiness, rashes, fever, diarrhoea or convulsions. If your baby has any of these, always get medical advice immediately from your general medical practitioner or health visitor.

Making teething less of a pain

You may find that your baby gets relief if you rub the affected gum with your clean finger or allow him or her to chew on a teething ring. Avoid rusks containing sugar because they cause tooth decay, and it is not a good idea to encourage babies or children to develop a 'sweet tooth'. Raw carrots should also be avoided because babies can choke on them. Bonjela Oral Pain-Relieving Gel (suitable from the read more