What to Expect From a Teething Baby

Babies are such blessings and the changes they go through in their first year of life are such amazing and exciting events. Teething can be such an event where there is excitement and at the same time some trepidation, especially for first time parents. There are so many stories that one hears from other parents of their experiences of their own kids or that of their friends where teething can be such and ordeal.

Most infants get their first teeth around six months or eight months. There are cases of very early teeth eruptions which may occur around the infant?s fourth or fifth month. It really depends on each individual baby and you should not worry if your baby is early or late. If you really want to be sure, you can consult a pediatric dentist regarding the state of your baby?s teeth - or the lack of it.

Symptoms of Teething

Some common symptoms of teething are more drool than ever before and crankiness or irritability in a baby. Some babies just breeze right through teething and the parents would just be surprised to see the signs of pearly white teeth poking out of the gums while others suffer even before the tell tale signs of teething are apparent.

Other teething symptoms which may occur are irritation of the area around the mouth, swollen gums, unusual sensitivity to heat and coldness, a hematoma on the gums and difficulty sleeping. The irritation around the oral cavity is usually a small patch or rash that happens due to an increase in drool and moistness caused by teething. Usually, it will look like small red spots under the lower lip or around the corners of the mouth. Swollen gums are the result of an impending eruption and the infant may experience some pain due to this. Sensitivity to heat and cold can also be the result of a swollen area in the gums. A hematoma is a small blister that may occur on the very area where the teeth are supposed to erupt.

In some rare cases, infant get low grade fevers or diarrhea while teething. This maybe caused by bacteria or viruses which the child may have picked up when he or she start to gnaw on things which are within reach. Teething can provoke the infant to gnawing on objects which can alleviate the pain or the soreness of the gums. All the things that infants put in mouth may not be as clean as we desire them and this may not be entirely avoidable since they can even gnaw on their fists.