TEETHING
BABIES
By Dr. Charles E. Simmons
Simmons Pediatrics, Jacksonville, FL
Assisted By Dominique D. Barrs
Medical Student
Dr. Charles E. Simmons
22
The Christian Reader September 2008
Has your baby been a little more irritable than usual? Find your shirt
drenched in drool and dribble? Has
your furniture even become the new
chew toy? If you have answered yes
to any of these questions, chances are
your baby is teething.
Teeth are developed in the mother’s
womb, like most other physical features. However, it is not
until the baby is between 6 and 9 months that they begin cutting teeth. Teeth break through their tooth buds, and begin
appearing usually one at a time over a period of months.
There is a common order that teeth appear, but like most
things, there are the variations. Usually, the bottom two middle teeth appear first. Following their arrival, the top two
middle teeth come in. Then the side and back teeth follow
suit. Teeth may not come in straight, but over time, they tend
to straighten and align themselves. Around the age of two,
your baby’s last teeth should be appearing. A child should
have a full set of 20 baby teeth by their third birthday. These
teeth will carry them until their permanent teeth are ready to
come in a push the baby teeth out by age six.
A teething baby needs a lot of sympathy, care, and support.
After all, there is nothing that we can do to speed up the
process, and relieve all of the pain. The only thing that can be
done is try to remove some of the discomfort, and let nature
run its course. Restlessness and change of sleep patterns can
occur as a result of teething, along with other common symp-
toms. Some symptoms are drooling; sore, red gums; loss of
appetite; excessive chewing and biting; and a slight rise in
temperature. To alleviate some of these discomforts, there are
the traditional methods. Having something cold and easily
accessible is great for babies. They want something to hit the
right spot and at the right time. Teething rings are great toys
for gnawing and massaging. Sometimes, they are hard to
maneuver to the right location on the gums, but for the most
part they do the trick. To alleviate some of the pain, Tylenol
and Motrin are great. They can be given in their children
dosage and it suppresses the pain for up to four hours. Another
option would be any of the products designed to numb the
gums of the child.
Te e t h i n g i s
another factor in
this game we
call life. It
brings discomfort to both the
parent and the
child. However,
try to stay positive and help
this transition
pass by with little irritation.
Invest in a lot of
bibs and just
wait for those
little pegs to
appear. For that
memory alone is
worth the pain.
Say cheese!