Have you noticed your 4 to 7 month old starting to teeth? Some babies sprout their first tooth before or after this timeframe, but invariably infants will begin to show teeth breaking through their gums.

Did you know that the teeth actually start developing while your baby is in the womb? What should you look for when you think a tooth might start breaking through?

The first tooth typically shows on the bottom with the top following. The side teeth begin to fill in with the last typically being the molars that finish out the “baby teeth” about the age of three. However, they don’t always come in this order. By the age of three, you can expect to see a full set of 20 teeth in your child’s mouth.

Babies can experience a variety of symptoms from teething. Fussiness, drooling, swollen gums, gnawing, refusing food, and not sleeping may appear at the same time as emerging teeth, however experts are not in agreement as to whether teething causes these symptoms. Sickness can increase mainly because babies tend to put things in their mouths to ease the pain, therefore increasing the bacteria. Loose stools can occur because of the saliva upsetting the baby’s tummy. Fever can result in inflammation of the gums.

So what do you do to help your teething baby?

• Go to the old standby of a cold washcloth or a firm rubber teething ring. Just make sure the child does not put a dangerous item in his mouth.
• Use what you have. Gently rub a clean finger over your child’s gum.
• Cold food can help if your baby is on solid food. Chill applesauce, yogurt, or other soft foods.
• If these solutions don’t work, talk to your doctor about mild pain medicines to help your child or before applying over the counter teething medications and gels. Some can have harmful side effects such as numbing the baby’s throat, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

All babies teeth, so being aware of what to expect and how to help your child through it will make both you and your little one more comfortable. As always, do not hesitate to contact your pediatrician with any concerns and questions.

For additional information:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_teething-your-babys-first-teeth_11243.bc

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/tc/teething-topic-overview