Teething in babies – tips for teething problems

The most important questions clarified in advance

For new parents, the first year of the baby is an exciting, turbulent and instructive time full of challenges. When your baby shows the signs of first teeth, the questions inevitably arise for you as a mother and father: What helps with teething? Which teething aid is suitable for my baby? And do preparations such as teething gel or globules really help with teething? It is helpful to know the best tips and tricks so that you can accompany your child through this important development process as painlessly as possible. In this way you can make teething particularly pleasant for your baby. In addition, in this article you will learn everything you need to know about teeth, babies and teething aids. 

Your baby and his first tooth – you   can’t plan your baby’s teething

Teething in babies cannot be planned. Strictly speaking, a newborn is born with twenty milk teeth. However, these hide tightly packed in the jaw until they break through. Permanent teeth, which only become visible between the ages of 6 and 12, are anchored in the jaw before birth. As a rule, however, you can expect your baby’s first tooth between the 6th and 7th month of life. In individual cases, early harbingers of the so-called erupting of the baby’s teeth appear much earlier between the 3rd and 4th month. If the development of baby teeth and thus the first signs of teething are delayed by a few weeks or months, there is no need to worry.

Everything about teething – when your baby shows its first teeth

As a rule, your baby’s first teeth will begin to erupt before their first birthday. Unfortunately, what is a natural process and an important advance in healthy child development is an extremely painful affair for almost every child. When the first teeth make their way through the baby’s still quite soft jaw, your child is often plagued by unpleasant pain. Typical symptoms such as crying, being whiny and fever are common. We’ll show you the right tips and tools to help ease the pain of teething. 

When the first teeth appear

Your baby and his first tooth: Once the first tooth has erupted, another tooth will appear every month on average. Usually, the teething process in the lower jaw begins with the lower front incisors. This is followed by the two upper incisors and shortly thereafter by their two direct neighbours. Around your baby’s first birthday, all eight front teeth will be visible. Six months later, the two front molars follow and finally the canines break through the jaw. The rear molars form the conclusion. Your toddler’s milk teeth with a total of twenty milk teeth are only complete at around two to three years of age.   

What helps with teething?

That’s the theory. But how can you now reliably tell that your baby has started teething and what helps with teething? Before the first teeth visibly grow out of the jaw, your child’s teething process has already begun. In the months when the tooth erupts, the jawbone begins to tighten and the gums swell. There is also a small white spot where a new tooth is trying to break through.

When the baby teeth get the space they need, this process causes understandable pain, itchy gums and your baby feels an uncomfortable feeling of pressure in the jaw. Since this development naturally hurts, you often experience your baby as particularly restless and fussy during this time. Here it helps to pay more attention to your child and to let them forget the pain with games and activities.

You can find valuable tips on this in our blog article “Spending time with the children – great ideas for the whole year ”. However, especially at night, when there is no distraction from external stimuli, the pain is felt more than during the day. Falling asleep and staying asleep is difficult, your child wakes up more often than usual at night and cries. Caring and loving care by the parents is particularly important then. 

Your baby is starting to teeth – signs and symptoms

Since the pain impulse is not felt to the same extent by all children, there are other signs besides crying that your baby is teething. Sometimes the cheeks are noticeably red during this time and there is increased salivation. In some cases, frequent drooling leads to a mild rash around the mouth area. The skin on the buttocks can also be slightly irritated, and it may also appear red and sore.

Since the immune system is weakened by teething, colds with a runny nose and a fever can occur more frequently than usual. However, if the fever persists for a longer period of time, a visit to a pediatrician is recommended. Teething is not always the trigger. The intestinal activity stimulated by the increased salivation also often causes diarrhea and could be another indication that your baby is struggling with the adversities of teething. However, if the diarrhea lasts longer than a day, please see your pediatrician. Especially in the first few months of life, watery stools should be clarified quickly. 

How to know your baby is teething:

When the baby’s teeth grow – the right teething aid

As soon as your baby feels that the first teeth are coming, it will initially become active on its own. This includes, for example, that more than ever they try to put everything they can get their hands on in their mouths in order to relieve the pressure and pain in their jaws by biting down on them. Chewing on solid objects helps to make the pain more bearable and has a beneficial effect on the eruption of milk teeth.

You can support your baby with the first aid measures you have chosen yourself by always having safe chewing aids to hand. A sufficiently large piece of firm bread or a thick raw carrot is recommended to start with so that your little fingers do not always have to serve as a substitute for biting. These aids can be held independently by your baby and used as a soothing chewing aid. Chewing on a slightly chilled baby spoon or damp washcloth can also help with teething pain. However, when giving a chewing aid to your child, please keep a close eye on it so that it does not accidentally put the spoon in its mouth too deeply or choke if something breaks off. 

Proven teething aids

Teething rings as a proven teething aid 

Teething rings are a proven and safe alternative to washcloths and the like and have always proven themselves as a pain reliever when teething. When buying a teething ring, make sure that the material composition is harmless to health and is free of plasticizers, the so-called phthalates. Made of flexible plastic, the rings are available in different versions and can be stored in the fridge until needed.

The special liquid inside the flexible ring has a cooling effect and chewing on the plastic ring brings quick relief. Whether you choose a chewing ring from baby supplies or a household baby spoon as a teething aid – the following applies to all chilled objects: Please only put them in the refrigerator and never in the freezer, otherwise the chewing aids will be too cold for the sensitive baby mouths.

Your baby and his first tooth – gum massage as a treat for baby teething

But what else helps with teething? Where a chilled teething ring isn’t enough and a firm carrot doesn’t help against the itching, a gum massage performed by the parents can work wonders. Through the sensitive massage, you can use your child’s immediate reaction to feel exactly where in the mouth you can optimally respond to your baby’s current needs.

Wash your hands thoroughly before the massage and massage your child’s gums either with your bare finger or use a special finger cot. These silicone thimbles have a fine nub structure and are especially suitable for baby’s oral and dental care and are commercially available. In addition to the gum massage, unsweetened chamomile or sage tea helps in many cases. The disinfecting natural substances soothe irritated gums and can either be applied directly to the painful area with a cotton swab or given to the baby to drink. 

Teeth and baby – medical teething gel as a pain-relieving teething aid

If your baby suffers too much from the teething pain and natural aids do not provide any relief, your pediatrician will be happy to advise you on suitable remedies. As a teething aid, a medical teething gel can be prescribed, for example, which is applied to the painful gums with an applicator or a finger before feeding or breastfeeding.

The cooling teething gel from the pharmacy ensures that the affected area is slightly anesthetized and your baby experiences relief from permanent pain. However, it should be mentioned that such a teething gel only works when a tooth is about to break through. Due to the low dosage of the anesthetic agent, such a teething gel helps with local teething pain, but has no beneficial effect on the pressure in the jawbone. 

Homeopathic teething aid – do globules help with teething? 

If, as a parent, you prefer alternative aids to medical numbing gel and the like, you may prefer to use homeopathic preparations for your child’s teething problems. Available as globules, drops or suppositories, these agents are administered orally or rectally, depending on the application, and promise rapid pain relief.

But do globules really help with teething? With the help of homeopathic mixed preparations, you can try to reduce the pain naturally and use globules to help with teething. The remedies available without a prescription include preparations such as Escatitona drops, Osanit beads or Viburcol suppositories. If you have any questions about the right globules for teething, consult a qualified homeopath in advance or use the comprehensive advice service in your pharmacy. 

How well do toothed chains help with teething?

Many midwives and mothers swear by the added use of amber dental chains at the first sign of teething, but what does this really do for teething? As a traditional aid, an amber necklace is said to have a calming effect on the baby during the stressful time of teething. Known as a gemstone, the fossil resin is placed around baby’s neck in the form of a necklace, said to promote relaxation and calming of the child. For experts, however, the gift of an amber necklace when the baby is teething is controversial due to safety concerns.

If you decide on an amber necklace, it is therefore important to pay attention to a number of factors relating to the safety of the child: The cord of the chain should be extremely tear-resistant and stable and only tear when a force of at least 90 Newton is applied, which corresponds to a weight of around 90 equivalent to kilograms. This value is necessary so that your baby cannot tear the chain and run the risk of putting the stones in his mouth. In addition, each stone must be knotted individually so that if it is torn, only one stone comes loose.

For additional security, high-quality chains have a predetermined breaking point such as a magnetic clasp, which allows the chain to be easily opened with just one pull. This is to prevent babies from getting tangled up in the chain or accidentally pinching off the air. If you are unsure about an amber necklace for pain relief when teething, your pediatrician will be happy to advise you.

First teeth and their care – brushing baby’s teeth properly

The time has finally come: After a grueling time, your baby’s first milk teeth have arrived and of course they now want to be properly cared for. In order to promote healthy oral hygiene from an early age and to avoid tooth decay, practice brushing your teeth every day together with your child. With the first tooth, it is sufficient to clean it with a special finger toothbrush from the pharmacy in the morning and in the evening, and to give your baby a soothing gum massage at the same time. From the second tooth at the latest, it is your child’s turn: With a small children’s toothbrush, which has a short head and very soft plastic bristles, your child will learn how to brush their teeth regularly under your guidance.

When all the milk teeth are there, it’s time for a brush with slightly longer bristles and a narrow head so that your toddler can reach all parts of the mouth optimally. A small dab of fluoridated children’s toothpaste is recommended by paediatricians from the very first tooth. To prevent accidental swallowing, spread the toothpaste all over your child’s toothbrush and set a good example yourself. To make the initially unfamiliar brushing of teeth easier, it is advisable to make a nice ritual out of the every evening process. Demonstrate how to brush your teeth with little games, make your child laugh and show them that mum and dad like to brush their teeth too. Further reading: ” Proper oral hygiene even before the first tooth “.