Thread by @YemisiIkumelo

As a parent, you get excited when one or two teeth pops out of your baby's gum.
You're amused and just thrilled about your child's growth.
The teething process has started.
Your baby is growing and it seems like it's happening very fast.

#Teething
#DentalThread
A thread

However, for the baby,(sometimes) teething is extremely painful. Teething can cause pain in a baby’s gums and prevent him/her from sleeping among other things the process may/can present with.

So, What is teething?

Teething is the process of teeth eruption.
It is the period when a tooth/teeth starts the process of breaking through the gum to come into the mouth so as to become visibly seen.

Tooth eruption usually starts at 6 months of age. However , there are early erupters who have their teeth comimg out before 6 months and there are also late erupters whose teeth don't come out until well after 6 months.

How do I know when my child is teething?

What are the signs I'll see or those I'll be looking out for?

Symptoms can last for just a few days, usually around the time the tooth is about to break out through the gums.
It can also be for as long as several months, especially if a lot of teeth are coming out at the same time.

It is important to note that Teething period can sometimes NOT HAVE any symptoms in some babies. So not all babies have symptoms. Also, not all babies have ALL the symptoms at once.

The common symptoms seen however are:

Drooling (saliva)
Swollen, bulging gums
A tooth visible below the gum
Irritability / being cranky

Trouble with sleeping, especially at night.
Trying to bite, chew, and suck on everything
Hands in mouth all the time.
Rejecting food
Grabbing ears

If several of these symptoms are noticed in your child, it's likely he or she is teething – but there's always the chance that it's something else.

If your baby has diarrhea, a fever, or a runny nose, please do not dismiss it as a sign of teething, especially if the symptoms last longer than 24 hours.
There really is no scientific proof that Teething causes any of these.

They could be from infections as the child puts anything he or she sees around into the mouth for some form of relief.

Please visit your doctor if your child has these symptoms.

DO NOT DISMISS THEM AND SAY IT'S TEETHING.

What are the best ways to soothe my child's teething symptoms?

1. Boiled carrots.
Soft, whole carrots..... for chewing.
It'll help get the child busy, distracted and also cause some form of relief. It also reduces the need to bite/ chew on anything around.

2. Rub your baby's gums.
Use a clean finger or moistened (wet) gauze pad/ cotton wool/wash cloth to rub your baby's gums. The pressure can ease your baby's discomfort

3. Keep it cool.
Teething toys such as teething rings /teether can be used.
The teething rings can be put in a refrigerator briefly for the cooling effect.

The coolness causes a soothing relief to the gums.

Do not give your baby a frozen teething ring, however.

You can also give your child any other teething toy such as a non-sweetened pacifier.

....

4. Constant contact with saliva drool may be irritating to his or her lips and skin. When it happens, it is okay to apply some Vaseline (white petroleum jelly) to reduce the contact of the saliva with the tender skin.

Also, do not rub the saliva off the chin.
Just pat-dry gently to avoid a friction-induced, worsening rash.

5. Try an over-the-counter remedy such as paracetamol syrup but ULTIMATELY see your doctor or Dentist.

If your baby is especially cranky, syrup paracetamol in the appropriate dose might help.

Avoid using any form of teething solution or powder

The risks usually outweighs the benefits the marketers sell to you.

Treat symptomatically i.e treat the symptoms you see (as listed above) and your baby will be fine.

Best thing to do especially if you're confused however, is to take your child to see a dentist.

TEETHING is a normal physiological process.
It shouldn't make you lose your sleep.
Do the things seen above and your child will be fine.

Thank you.

Please do well to share with other people to learn.

Retweet, like, post link as status updates.
Don't be "stingy" with the info.

Lol

Teething toys help a great deal!

@threadreaderapp please unroll.
Thanks.