How to Treat Teething Problems in Infants

Detecting the Signs and Symptoms of Tooth Pain in Babies

Nov 5, 2009

Teething is uncomfortable, and sometimes painful for infants. At times, parents can feel helpless. However, there are ways to help babies feel more comfortable.

Teething is unique for every infant, from the timeline to the symptoms she may experience. Teething can start as early as three months. If one parent teethed early as an infant, chances are that her own baby may teeth early as well.

Teething Symptoms

Drooling is one of the first signs of teething. Parents should not panic when an infant drools in excess, as this is a sign of a healthy mouth. As a baby's teeth start to grow beneath the gums, he may start shoving his hand in the mouth and gnaw on it. A baby may even pinpoint to a specific spot on the gums with his fingers.

A look inside a teething infant's mouth may reveal red, sometimes inflammed gums, with white spots on them.

These early stages are not unbearable. As time goes on, however, the teething process is quite painful to an infant. The good news is that the pain seems to come in waves, and does not last all day. However, the pain can last from minutes to several hours. Parents may even find that the pain occurs during the same time of day, everyday. In fact, many infants experience teething pain during the daytime as opposed to nighttime.

Treatment for Teething Infants

Water-filled plastic teethers can be soothing to infants and make them feel more comfortable. They should be washed with soap and water before use. Refrigerate them for maximum relief. Contrary to popular belief, freezing teethers will do more harm than good. This is due to the fact that the teether will become so hard that it can actually hurt a baby's gums.

Baby Orajel can provide instant relief for a teething infant. Parents should ask a pediatrician if their baby is under four months old before using this product. Apply a small amount and rub directly on the gums with a clean finger. The downfall with Baby Orajel is that the relief may not last long, especially if the baby drools a lot. Do not apply Baby Orajel right before feeding time. Also, the product should not be used more than four times a day, so it should be used wisely. There is some skepticism over Baby Orajel, since babies are likely to ingest some of the product.

If an infant's teething symptoms are unbearable, consider Infant's Tylenol. Again, parents need to ask a pediatrician for advice and the dosage amount if the baby is under four month old. Tylenol, or acetaminophen designed for infants can provide relief for up to four hours at a time.

Unfortunately, all infants have to bear this discomfort before cutting their first tooth. It will continue up until the baby is about two years old, when all of his teeth should cut, according to the New Parents Guide. Typically, an infant's first tooth will appear within about two months from when teething symptoms first begin. In the meantime, it is important for parents to help their infant feel more comfortable during the process. Chewing on teethers helps to relieve pressure, while medicinal measures can help relieve pain.

The copyright of the article How to Treat Teething Problems in Infants in Infant & Toddler Health is owned by Kristeen Mandak. Permission to republish How to Treat Teething Problems in Infants in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.