Newborn teeth

The appearance of the baby’s first teeth is a milestone in its development, but it also represents a great revolution in its life, and in that of its parents. Revolution also made of crying, sleepless nights, etc.

To help you calm down your baby’s teething, let’s see what the most common symptoms of teething are, how to take care of your baby’s new teeth and how to overcome the inevitable crises along the way.

Symptoms of teething

Each newborn reacts differently to the appearance of teeth, there is no real dental eruption syndrome: some may be completely indifferent to the point of discovering the presence of the first tooth only after a visual inspection., others will be much more suffering and annoyed.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of teething means being able to manage it better and possibly avoid unnecessary suffering for the newborn. Here are some common symptoms to look out for:

Abundant salivation

profuse salivation can begin months before the tooth actually appears and can continue until full dentition.

Rashes

Constant drooling can cause your baby’s chin to get quite red and sore. Gently drying the area as often as possible can help, as can applying a specific cream.

Need to chew

The pressure of teeth pushing through the gums can often be relieved by back pressure, so the child begins to nibble on something within reach.

More frequent crying

Some babies don’t seem overly concerned by the sensation of teething, while others find it much more distressing and react by crying more frequently than usual.

Refusal of food

Refusal of solid food or tantrums while breastfeeding can be symptoms that teething has begun: it is likely that the gums are bothering him.

Pulling ears or rubbing cheeks

The trigeminal nerve innervates the ear area, the skin of the cheek, chin, lower lip and gums.

Then the newborn may experience the pain of teething elsewhere. Rubbing your cheeks or pulling your ears could sometimes be a sign of teething.

But beware that these symptoms could also be signs of an ear infection: to exclude this hypothesis, it is necessary to make sure that the child does not have a fever.

Render vivid

The eruption of milk teeth can cause a gingival hematoma which generally tends to reabsorb naturally with the appearance of the tooth. Bruised gum is nothing to worry about and is simply a sign that a tooth is working its way to the surface. Just before the gum breaks, it often feels like there is a small blister on the gum.

Restlessness and awakenings during naps

You may find that your baby seems to do well during the day when he is distracted by toys, games, books and the usual daily activities he observes. But all that pressure and sore gums can make your baby nervous during naps and bedtimes once the distractions have been removed.

When do milk teeth come in?

Milk teeth (so-called deciduous teeth) usually begin to appear at around six to eight months. It is usually always the first two lower teeth that appear first, followed by the two upper teeth, then the incisors.

However, don’t be surprised if they appear a little earlier, around 4 months and remember, teething symptoms usually start several weeks before teething.

At about age 3, children have 20 teeth

What to do when teething

Teething is a rather difficult time for babies.

They may be more irritable than usual and therefore need understanding, pampering and patience from their parents.

One of the best ways to help ease the discomfort of teething for your baby is to allow them to chew. Chewing provides back pressure, which can ease the pain felt by the teeth working their way up and out of the gums. Teething toys can help, especially if they’re cold, so keep them in the fridge if you can.

Similarly, refrigerated, soft foods, such as yogurt, or fresh (not frozen) fruit can help cool and soothe the gums.

If your baby is in pain, you can give him a pain reliever, such as acetaminophen, provided your baby is over three months old.

Once the teeth appear

When your child’s teeth finally start to come through, don’t forget to take care of them. When it comes to taking care of your child’s teeth, the sooner you start, the better. As soon as your teeth come in, it’s time to start brushing them with a toothbrush (an electric one is fine too) and toothpaste. In the beginning it is very important to use a specific toothpaste for children, because adult toothpastes have an amount of fluoride which can be harmful for younger children especially since at that age they do not have the reflex to be able to spit out the toothpaste. toothpaste. You can use adult toothpaste as soon as you are sure they can spit it out.

Katherine Johnson, M.D., is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with clinical expertise in general obstetrics and gynecology, family planning, women’s health, and gynecology.

She is affiliated with the Obstetrics and Gynecology division at an undisclosed healthcare institution and the online platform, Maternicity.com.

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