Baby's First Teeth
Watch for your baby's first teeth to show up in the lower front of his mouth. When this starts to happen, your baby may have some discomfort and may be fussy. His gums may be swollen and tender and he may want to chew things.The two upper front teeth will probably be the next teeth to come in. The rest of his teeth will come in slowly, as he gets 3 or 4 teeth every 3 or 4 months. In time, he will have a total of 20 baby teeth.
Teething Symptoms
Teething sometimes causes a low grade rise in temperature, but not a real fever.If your baby has a temperature of 100 degrees or more, or other symptoms, such as diarrhea or vomiting, call your pediatrician or clinic. He may be sick and his teething may just be a coincidence.
Relief from Teething Symptoms
Common treatments for teething include gently rubbing your baby's gums with a clean finger, cool spoon or wet cloth. You can also give your baby a teething ring or pacifier to chew on.Some teething rings are made to be chilled. This cool object against his gums may feel good and make him less fussy. You don't need to put any kind of pain reliever on his gums. These wash away quickly and don't help much.
These tips were adapted from the U.S. Department of Education.
View more Infant Parenting Tips.
