How Long Does Teething Pain Last For a Baby?
Yes…baby teething can be a big headache for all parents. Image all those crying and whining can really make your head goes spinning. I still remember when my baby girl start teething on her 6mth, she whines a lot and sometime I have to learn to tune her out. No amount of coffee can solve this headache. 'Meh...'
In general, you would usually start to see your baby’s first tooth comes out somewhere between 4 and 8 months. Some baby can experience rough time during teething while other is just a stroll at the park.
I have friends who swore that their baby make no fuss while teething. “Yeah, this morning Hayley woke up with 2 new teeth :-), ” say my BFF-Lynn. Lucky for Lynn but not for me :-(. 'Meh...for the 2nd time'
According to Michael Hanna, DDS, a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, “a baby's reaction to teething depends upon many factors, including his tolerance for pain, his personality, and how dense his gums are.” So, to know more about how long does teething pain last for your baby, do continue to read on.”
So…What is Teething?
Teething is that time in a baby's life when first teeth begin to emerge from their gums. Although the buds have been in her gums since she was still in the tummy, they would not begin to push through the gum and become real chewing tools. Teething can be painful and irritating so expect your baby to be cranky and constantly drooling. So…prepare a hanky or bibs to soak up the drool.
Why Does Teething Hurt So Much?
The fact that teeth break through the gum to emerge is not the only reason why teething would hurt. Instead of just emerging, the tooth twists and slightly shifts as it rises to the surface. Also, not every tooth would cause discomfort.
Canines, also considered, as the human "fangs" are the ones that hurt the most. This is due to its sharp edge and its wide surface area. Molars, on the other hand, are almost painless when they grow out, except for the wisdom tooth, which may or may not come out much later in life.
What are the Best Ways to Soothe My Baby's Painful Gums When Teething?
It can be a challenge to comfort a cranky teething baby. One of the most common ways to ease a baby's teething discomfort is by letting them bite and chew on a teething ring. However, opt for those that do not contain liquid or gel inside to prevent any possibility of leaking. Also, it is best to serve the teething ring chilled as the low temperature could help numb the pain.
You may also give them a cold washcloth to chew on. Just make sure that it does not accidentally chew a piece of the fiber.
Babies will always try to chew on anything to soothe their gums agitation. Crewing on the crib rail is often the most popular choice because babies spent most of their time inside the crib.
Chewing on the crib rail can be bad for your baby teeth development as the crib rail is a hard surface. To counter this, install the Go Mama Go Designs Reversible Teething Guard so you will have no worry again if you baby bite on the crib rail.
Can I Use Medication for Teething Pain?
How long does teething pain last for a baby can be varies between children. Some can take 2 – 3 days while other can be a week. If your baby does not show sign of comfort from teething after a few days, then bring her to a doctor immediately. Sometime the discomfort can due to some other issues that not related to teething.
It’s natural for your baby to whine more during her teething period. However, if your baby experiencing great discomfort from teething, pain relievers, such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, should only be given if a slight fever breaks out and only if the doctor gives a go signal during a consult.
When Do Baby Teeth Start to Appear?
The teething process could start as early as 3rd month, but the emergence usually happens around the baby's 4th or 7th month. So there is no definite answer to how long does teething pain last for a baby as some baby’s tooth break out much faster while other can be a drag.
Anyhow, during this period, your baby might whine more than the usual. Do not get mistaken that you baby is sick. Sometime she is just feeling discomfort due to the teething.
The baby teeth may seem almost non-evident until you run a finger over the baby's gum and feel that it is hard and a little swollen. Oh…make sure you finger is clean though. You don’t want your little precious accidentally caught with any germs.
When the tooth starts to break through the surface of the gum, it would look like a small white bump then an almost opaque like line as the whole tip starts to appear.
Order of Teeth Appearance
Image courtesy from www.kutekeiki.com
The primary set of teeth, also called Milk teeth, start to grow in a certain order of appearance. The following generally shows which teeth grows first and when it would appear:
- The two lower central incisors are the first to emerge, usually around the 5th month to the 10th month at the latest. Teeth usually appear in pairs.
- The top two central incisors begin to emerge right after, around the sixth and 12th month.
- The two upper lateral incisors, one on each side of the central incisors, begin to grow out around the 13th month.
- The lower lateral incisors may start to appear at the 10th month or the 16th month at the very latest.
- The upper and lower first molars may start to emerge around the 12th to the 18th month.
- The canines, which are the teeth that fill the gap between the lateral incisor and first molar, start to emerge at the 16th and 22nd month.
- Finally, the second molars emerge when the baby is around 20 to the 33 months of age.
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Visible Symptoms When Your Baby is Teething
The most common symptom of teething in babies is that they are uncomfortable, fussier, whiny and a bit too cranky than usual. This is mainly because their gums are swollen and sore.
At this time, your baby becomes eager to chew on just about anything to relieve the pain. Also, they begin to drool a lot.
Contrary to common belief, fever and diarrhea are not normal symptoms of teething. In case it occurs to your baby, consult a doctor immediately.
How Long Do Teething Symptoms Last?
Teething symptoms stops once the tooth has emerged from the surface of the gum. There is no fixed period as to when the symptoms would stop for each baby. Some may only experience it in 1 to 3 days for each tooth; some may endure a longer period, while some do not experience teething symptoms at all. Yeah...lucky them right?
How To Keep Your Baby's Teeth and Gum Healthy?
Even before the first tooth breaks out, it’s always important to practice and maintain a good oral hygiene. This not only making sure your baby teeth development stays healthy but also setting your baby into habit of cleaning her teeth.
Parents may start to wipe the gums daily using a clean, damp fabric. There are soft rubber toothbrushes made especially for babies but make sure to use it with caution. Never use toothpaste on gums. Once teeth begin to emerge, brush or wipe it with a very small amount of toothpaste that made especially for baby. Use the type that does not contain fluoride to prevent the baby from ingesting it.
For more tips on oral care for baby, Parent.com made an awesome post on 7 Tips for Baby Tooth Care. Do check out this great article and learn more about baby tooth care tips.
Alternatively, you can use the Safety 1st Fingertip Toothbrush which is great for keeping your baby's gum and teeth clean.
Good News and Bad News. Sort Of...
Well...the good news is that teething is not a forever thing. All these whining and crying will go away before your know it. So tough it out all mommies and daddies. You will make it!
Make sure to maintain a good oral care for your baby so that you can help your babies to pass through his/her teething smoothly.
If you find this article is useful in any way, please help to share out to your friends that might be interested to know how long does teething pain last for their baby too. As always, stay AWESOME and talk to you soon.
