The arrival of the first teeth is not only a drooling experience but can also be grueling for the little mouth involved. Teething begins around 4-7 months of age, usually starting with the two bottom teeth followed by the two front upper teeth. The remaining teeth will follow until all baby teeth are present by about the age of 3 years. All children’s developmental timeline is different and teething is no exception. Some babies are born with teeth already showing and some may take almost the whole of the first year to appear.

Teething Symptoms

Runny Nose

Low Fever

Red and Swollen Gums

Red Flushed Cheek or Face

Crankiness or Crying

Gum Rubbing

Inconsistent Feeding

Sleeplessness or Restlessness

Heavy Drooling

Rash around the Mouth from Heavy Drooling

Diarrhea or a Red Sore Bottom

Biting, chewing, and sucking on toys, fingers, clothes and anything else they can get their hands on.

Teething Remedies

Treating the symptoms of teething can help ease the pain and make your baby more comfortable. If they are suffering from a rash around their mouths from all of the drooling make sure you keep the area dry by patting with a soft cloth. It might pay to put a little bit of barrier cream around the area also to keep from getting sore. Likewise if they are suffering with a sore or red bottom, keep it clean and dry and apply barrier cream when changing their diaper.

There are plenty of natural remedies that you can try before resorting to pain relieving medications and teething gels. Some teething gels have recently been associated with a potentially fatal disease so if you must use them ensure you are following the instructions and do not apply more than the recommended dose. Ask your local chemist or health food store if they stock any homeopathic teething relief products, or visit your local homeopath to have one specially made up.

To ease the swelling and painful gums you can use anything that is cool to touch. Some teething rings come filled with liquid so that you can store them in the fridge or freezer. Have a few on hand so that while one is cooling the other is being chewed on. Make sure you check the quality of the teething products to ensure they meet the safety standards and if they become damaged or leak throw them out.

A cheaper alternative is to place a damp face cloth in the freezer for a few minutes and allow them to chew on this. It will soothe their gums and relieve some of their pain.

Now that they do have some little teeth bear in mind that they will be really sharp. Take extra caution that they don’t bite pieces off things such as their toys or hard vegetables as this may present a choking hazard.

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