$Unique_ID{PAR00163}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Teething}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Teething Drool Drooling Fretfulness Sleepless Sleeplessness appetite
Loss Pain discomfort chew chews Chewing zwieback toast teething biscuit
biscuits teething ring rings erupt eruption eruptions aspirin acetaminophen
gum gums fretful wakeful fever cough discharge Diarrhea constipation diet
teething ointment ointments solutions local anesthetic anesthetics primary
teeth tooth incisor incisors canine canines molar molars blue blood blister
anemia}
$Log{
Baby Teeth*0016301.tif}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Teething


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Drooling
     - Fretfulness
     - Sleeplessness
     - Loss of appetite
     - Pain or discomfort
     - Chewing on fingers or objects

     HOME CARE
     - Give the baby zwieback toast, teething biscuits, or a teething ring to
       bite on.  This will help the teeth erupt.
     - To ease pain, give aspirin or acetaminophen, rub the gums with a cold
       object, or have the child bite on a cold object
     - Distract the baby with activities.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Do not be too quick to assume a baby's symptoms are caused by teething;
       look for other causes.  A baby may be fretful, wakeful at night, or
       unwilling to eat for many reasons other than teething.
     - Teething does not cause fever, cough, or discharge from the nose.
     - Diarrhea and constipation are not related to teething unless there has
       also been a significant change in the child's diet.
     - Do not try to force-feed a child whose eating and drinking habits
       change during teething.
     - Drooling from teething may cause the face to become chapped, but rashes
       are due to other causes.
     - Overuse of teething ointments and solutions that contain local
       anesthetics can be harmful.
     - Never apply aspirin directly to the gums.


     A baby usually cuts 20 teeth during the first three years of life.  All
20 are temporary (primary) and are partly formed within the gums at birth.
The age and sequence of the eruption of the teeth vary from child to child.
Usually, however, the lower central incisors (front teeth) are the first to
break through the gums.  This can occur before birth or as late as one year of
age.  The four upper central incisors and the lower lateral incisors usually
follow.  The four one-year molars appear next (toward the rear of the mouth),
followed by the four canines (the coneshaped pointed teeth on either side of
the upper and lower incisors), and finally the four two-year molars.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Teething commonly is accompanied by drooling, fretfulness, wakefulness at
night, unwillingness to eat, discomfort, or chewing on the fingers or objects.
The drooling and chewing are quite normal; fretfulness, wakefulness, and
unwillingness to eat can have many causes.
     A few days before teeth erupt, they push at the gum ahead of them and can
be seen or felt.  Before molars erupt, they frequently cause a blue blood
blister at the site of the tooth.

HOME CARE

     Teething pain can be eased by rubbing the baby's gums with a cold object.
Biting on zwieback toast, teething biscuits, and teething rings helps the
teeth erupt, and biting on cold objects (such as frozen teething rings) numbs
the gums and eases the pain of teething.  Aspirin or acetaminophen also may
help relieve pain.  In the daytime, keeping the child amused and occupied may
help him forget the pain.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Young children cut teeth on and off for three years.  During this period,
     do not assume that every symptom the child has is due to teething; look
     for other possible causes.
  -  Fever, cough, and nasal discharge are not symptoms of teething.
  -  Diarrhea and constipation are related to teething only if there is an
     extreme change in the child's diet.
  -  If the child's eating and drinking habits change during teething, do not
     try to force-feed.
  -  Drooling because of teething may produce chapping on the face, but rashes
     are not related to teething.
  -  Overuse of commercial teething ointments and solutions that contain local
     anesthetics can cause anemia (deficiency of red blood cells).
  -  Never apply aspirin directly to the gums.  (This practice can cause a
     chemical burn.)

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Before assuming that symptoms are caused by teething, your doctor will
check for other causes.

RELATED TOPICS:  Anemia; Toothache