Teething

Symptoms of teething. Teething has different effects on different babies. One chews things, frets, drools, has a hard time getting to sleep and generally makes life miserable for the family for a month or two as each tooth comes through. In another baby, a tooth is discovered with no idea that he was teething. Most babies start to drool at around three to four months when their salivary glands become more active. Don't be fooled into thinking that drooling always indicates that teething has started.
Since babies get twenty teeth in their first three years, it's easy to understand why they seem to be teething for most of the infant and early childhood years. This also explains why it's so easy to blame every ailment on teething. It was once believed that teething caused colds, diarrhoea and fevers. Of course, these conditions are caused by germs (bacteria and viruses), not by teething. Teething mainly causes teeth and not much else. If your baby has a fever or appears ill, don't assume it's because of teething . Call her doctor or nurse practitioner.

Help for teething. Any teeth may distress a baby, but the first four molar teeth, at around twelve to eighteen months, are more likely to cause trouble than the others. What to do? First, let her chew! Provide chewable objects that are dull and soft enough so that if she falls with them in her mouth, they won't do any damage. Rubber teething rings of various shapes are good. You should avoid toys made from thin, brittle plastic, which can break and cause choking. You also need to be careful that your baby does't gnaw the paint off furniture and other objects if there is any danger that the paint is made with lead. (Anything painted before about 1980 may contain lead.) Fortunately, nowadays all baby furniture and painted toys sold in the UK are painted with lead-free paint.
Some babies prefer to chew on a certain kind of cloth. Try trying an ice cube or a peace of apple in a square of cloth. Some parents swear by frozen bagels. Frozen slices of banana can also work well. Many babies love to have their gums firmly rubbed at times. Be creative. Let your baby chew what she wants as long as it's not dangerous. And don't fret about germs on the teething ring or piece of cloth. Your baby is putting all sorts of things in her mouth anyway, none of them germ-free. Of course, it's a good idea to wash the teething ring after it has fallen on the floor or the dog has slobbered over it and you should wash or boil the piece of cloth occasionally. There are lots of teething medicines on the market that may occasionally offer some relief, but you should talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner before using them.