8 Tips On How to Soothe Gums While Your Baby is Teething
Is your baby fussier than usual? They may be getting their baby teeth, which can be uncomfortable for your little one. Our pediatric dentist in Ponte Verda is glad to provide teething tips to soothe your baby’s tender gums.
About Teething
Teething is a time when baby teeth punch through, or erupt, through the gums.
Your baby was born with 20 primary teeth already in their jaws. Babies typically get their first tooth between the ages of 6 and 8 months, although some babies begin feeling the discomfort weeks or months earlier. While that seems like a lot of teething, most kids will have all their baby teeth by the time they are 3 years old, so the teething experience is relatively short-lived.
Why Teething is Uncomfortable
When they erupt, teeth don’t actually cut through the gums; a hormone causes the cells in gum tissue to die and separate, which allows the tooth to get through the gums. This natural process can cause inflammation (swelling), tenderness, and discomfort.
Signs of Teething
Since babies may experience teething discomfort long before their first tooth erupts, parents may need to address this discomfort when their child is just a few months old.
Your baby can’t tell you that their gums hurt, of course, but the signs will be there. The signs your baby is teething include:
- Drooling: Babies produce more saliva when teething because the fluids soothe and protect their gums
- Developing a rash around their mouth: spit often contains small bits of food that can irritate the skin around your child’s mouth.
- Chewing on fingers, toys, and other objects: chewing massages your baby’s gums to reduce pressure
The discomfort from teething is often worse at night
Teething babies can be fussier at night for several reasons. There are fewer distractions at night, for example, so babies may be more aware of the discomfort they are experiencing. Lying down can increase blood flow to the gums, which can make pain worse. Tiredness from discomfort throughout the day can also cause more pain from teething at night.
How to Soothe Your Baby’s Tender Gums during Teething
Massage your baby’s gums.
Using your (clean) finger or knuckle, lightly and gently rub your child’s gums. If it’s your child’s first teeth to come in, focus on where the front two teeth in the center of your baby’s lower jaw will likely go in, as these teeth usually come in first.
Freeze a damp washcloth.
Twist up a damp washcloth and place it in your freezer. Make it easier to gnaw on by tying a knot in one of the washcloths before freezing.
Let your baby chew on soft teething toys.
Chewing on a rubber and plastic teething ring can soothe teething discomfort. Chewing applies pressure to the area and massages the gums. Chewing can also distract your baby from discomfort.
Put the teething toys in the refrigerator.
You can refrigerate some teething toys. Cold temperatures can temporarily numb sore gum tissue.
Allow your baby to gnaw on your finger.
Chewing on your finger provides the same pain relief as gnawing on a teething ring, except it adds a comforting personal touch.
Use a teething device that allows your baby to safely suck on an ice cube or a piece of frozen fruit.
The cold temperatures help numb the gums.
Don’t freeze teething toys that are not made to be frozen, as objects that are frozen solid can damage gums. Freezing teething toys may also damage them, potentially making them unsafe.
Give your child acetaminophen.
Moderate use of acetaminophen is safe. Many parents find that it helps their teething babies fall asleep a little more easily.
Create a restful sleeping routine and environment
To help your baby fall asleep faster and stay asleep, try the following:
- Have your child take a warm bath before bed
- Give your child a bedtime massage to help them relax
- Play some white noise at a low volume to help distract them from the discomfort
Nocatee Pediatric Dentist Offers More Information on How to Soothe Your Baby’s Gums During Teething
For more tips on how to soothe your baby’s tender gums, contact Ponte Verda Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. Our pediatric dentist in Nocatee offers daily office hours and a wide variety of dentistry services for children living in Ponte Verda.