Babies go through many cycles when it comes to sleep. It is a common frustration for parents when children settle into a consistent sleep schedule then suddenly become sleepless and irritable at night.  Even the best sleepers can be disrupted by a variety of things including teething. While this is not anyone’s favorite stage, it is nothing to be worried about.

The teething stage is uncomfortable for your child and frustrating because they cannot simply tell you that their mouth hurts. Most children begin teething around 6-12 months old. Typically the first teeth to come in are the front teeth on the top and bottom of their mouth.

What to know ahead of time:

Not every child shows the same signs of teething. Therefore it is important to be aware of all of the symptoms that may present during teething. While teething can be very painful for you child, it does not cause your baby to be sick. Keeping this in mind can help ease your worries because every baby has to go through the teething stage. Common symptoms of a teething baby include:

• Drooling
• Crying
• Fussiness
• Irritability
• Waking up during the night
• Change in appetite
• Rubbing their gums
• Gum rash
• Biting more than usual
• Sucking

How to Ease your Child’s Pain:

While we cannot completely take away the pain our children feel when they’re teething, there are a few things to take into consideration to help ease their pain. Every parent approaches treatment differently and not every baby reacts well to their parent trying to help their pain. Don’t forget that not every remedy will work for your child so don’t give up if the first option you try doesn’t work. Stick with it! Your child will be very thankful for any release. Read the list of ways you may be able to calm down your child’s teething pain below:

• Consistent massaging of your baby’s gums. This is something you can do before they even begin teething. If they are used to the massage, it will be an easier adjustment when they begin teething. You will want to apply light pressure when massaging your baby’s gums. Also, use a damp washcloth to clean your baby’s gums to make sure there isn’t any leftover milk sitting around in their mouth.
• Keep their gums cool! Just like kids and adults, ice always helps pain. Try taking a cold spoon (not frozen) or a teething ring to help ease your baby’s pain. Make sure to not dip these items in anything sugary to avoid cavities.
• If your baby is older than about 7 months, you have the option to offer your baby a sippy-cup with chilled water in it. This will cool down their gums as well!
• If none of these simple fixes help your baby, consider an over the counter medicine like infant Tylenol. This could be a lifesaver during the night! Just make sure to confirm with your doctor how much your baby should take.
• Lastly, if your child’s pain continues or if they are showing any prolonged or worry-some symptoms, give your pediatric dentist a call!

Make sure to run any over the counter creams by your doctor before using them on your child. It is very important to know what you are putting in their mouth. There are a few ingredients in those types of medicines that we like our patients to avoid at all costs. As always, if you have any questions give us a call! If you have not already scheduled your child’s first appointment, click here to request an appointment.