Teething is not a fun stage of life, for either the parent or the child. Nevertheless, it is an unavoidable phase of growing up. Usually, teething will begin around the ages of 4 and 7 months, but can begin as early as 3 months or as late as a year old. Teething is simply the process of your baby’s teeth growing in.
Even though it is a simple process, it will inevitably cause pain and discomfort in your baby. Some teething symptoms include drooling, mood changes, inability to sleep, loss of appetite, wanting to bite or chew on anything, and swollen gums.
While there is a whole market full of teething toys, medicines, and soothing devices, there are some simple things that can be done at home to help soothe your baby’s teething discomfort. Here is a brief list of just a few of the many DIY teething options you can do from your own home.
- Ginger: Take a slice of ginger root, peeled, and rub the baby’s gum for about 2-3 minutes. The ginger will cause swelling to go down and will help relieve some of the teething pain. This practice can be done several times a day.
- Bagels: Refrigerate a bagel for a few hours and allow your baby to chew on the chilled bagel. This creates a safe, natural teething ring that will help your baby’s teething discomfort. If the child is not old enough to be eating bagels, make sure you watch them closely to assure they are not ingesting bagel pieces as they wear it down.
- Banana: Freeze a banana and allow your baby to use the banana as a teething device. This will ice the baby’s gums while providing them something to chew until they are pain-free or satisfied.
- Cold Towel: Wet a clean dishcloth or towel and refrigerate for several minutes. Allow the baby to use this towel as a teething chew toy. As they chew, the coldness will relieve swelling and help ease some of their pain. The cold towel acts like a safe ice pack for their gums. Watch your baby closely to make sure they are not sticking too much of the towel in their mouth or choking.
These are just a few of the easiest DIY teething remedies you can do from your own home. You can find a full list of DIY remedies here.
Once the baby’s teeth have come in, it is important to develop healthy oral care habits from the beginning. Bring your child in for their first teeth cleaning around age 1, or around 6 months after getting their first tooth. For more teething and first teeth tips, talk to your Sun Valley Pediatric dentist today.