Teething is a big milestone in your toddler’s development. But with the victories of progression, there are trials that come with it. Here are some tips to help you tacking your child’s teething phase and put everyone at ease.

Understanding Teething

Children are born with a full set of teeth, but they hide underneath the gums. As they get older, they start to grow upwards and out, which is called teething.
Teething happens anywhere between 4 and 10 months, but there are no rules to when your toddlers teeth will start growing in. It could be sooner than that, or later, it just depends on your child. Just Simply Mom explains the process thoroughly in this post.

Symptoms of Teething

• Excessive drooling
• Need to bit or chew on objects
• Change in food or drink preference
• Irritability
• Swollen or red gums
• Abnormal sleeping patterns
• White spots (tooth) visible under gums
• Chewing their hands or playing with their face
• Runny nose or cough

Some children react more to teething. If you notice any extreme symptoms, consult with your pediatrician and monitor them. More extreme symptoms include:

• Fever (over 101F)
• Diarrhea
• Rash

Other symptoms that may come with teething include excessive biting. While it isn’t ideal behavior we’d like to see in our children, do understand that they are doing it because of teething pains.

Duration of Teething

Teething will affect your child for the first 2 years of their lives, but only when a tooth is close to breaking the gums. Typically, it can take 1-7 days for a tooth to erupt, so if you are noticing symptoms for longer than this time frame, there may be something else bothering your child.

Pain Relievers

No parent wants to see their child in pain. Here are a few home remedies that will help soothe your child as they go through the teething process:

• Put pressure on the gums
• Use a cold toy or washcloth (not freezing)
• Teething necklaces
• Cold foods
• Facial Massage
• Tylenol or Motrin

Share your tips in the comments! If your child is teething and you would like to send a specific toy to help soothe their pain, let us know and we will accommodate them at Claire‘s.