My baby is teething ,Please Help?

Question

I have a 17 month old who's teething he won't eat anything because his mouth hurts. But my friend keeps giving him a bottle i am trying to ween him off the bottle but since he won't eat any solids my hands are tied . What should i do?

Answer 1

When a baby begins teething, there is no set pattern on when it will begin, how long it will take and how painful it will be. For one baby cutting a tooth might happen overnight without pain, while another child might have to go through a long, drawn out and painful experience. You may sometimes visibly see a rise or lump in the gum for several weeks, while sometimes there may be no visible clue at all until the tooth actually appears.

The process of teething often follows hereditary patterns, so if the mother and father teethed early or late, your baby may follow the same pattern. On average the first tooth comes in during the seventh month, although it can arrive as early as three months, as late as a year, or in rare cases even earlier or later.



Which teeth come in first and how many with there be?

In total there are twenty primary (first) teeth, which is twelve less than the full set of thirty-two permanent teeth adults have. Most children have a full set of primary teeth by the time they are around two or three years old. These teeth usually last until about the age of six, when the teeth that were first to appear become loose and fall out as the second teeth begin to push through the gums. The primary teeth continue falling out until roughly the age of twelve. Again, these ages mentioned above are only averages and your child may follow an earlier or later pattern. The following is the most common pattern in which your baby’s teeth will usually appear.

Age


Teeth


Position

6 to 7 months


Incisors


Two central bottom & Two central top teeth.

7 to 9 months


Two more incisors


Top & bottom; making four top & four bottom teeth in all.

10 to 14 months


First molars


Double teeth for chewing

15 to 18 months


Canines


The pointed teeth or “fangs”

2 to 3 years


Second molars


The second set of double teeth at the back

What are the symptoms of teething?

The symptoms of teething vary from child to child. Because of these different experiences, parents and physicians often disagree as to the symptoms of teething and how painful it is. The list below shows symptoms that a teething baby may experience. While most parents usually agree that some or all of the symptoms below happened around the time of teething, it is still recommended that if your baby experiences any of these symptoms you check with your pediatrician to rule out other possible causes for the symptoms.

Irritability: As the sharp little tooth rises closer to the surface your baby’s gums may become increasingly more sore and painful, leading to your baby being very fussy. The pain and discomfort is most often worse during the first teeth coming in and later when the molars come in because of their bigger size. This is most often the case since babies become accustomed to the sensations of teething and learn to live with them. But you may find your baby may be fussy during the whole time that every tooth comes in. Every child reacts differently.

Drooling: From three to four months of age you may see your baby start drooling more often than normal. Teething stimulates drooling, which is often worse with some babies than others.

Coughing: The extra saliva can cause your baby to occasionally cough or gag. This is usually nothing to worry about as long as your baby seems fine and shows no signs of a cold or flu and does not run a high fever.

Chin rash: If your baby is a big drooler, the constant contact with saliva can cause the skin around the chin and mouth to become irritated. To help prevent this, gently wipe your baby’s mouth and chin periodically throughout the day.

Biting & gnawing: A baby that is teething will gnaw and gum down on anything she or he can get their mouth around. The counter pressure from biting on something helps relieve the pressure from under the gums.

Cheek rubbing and ear pulling: Pain in the gums may travel to the ears and cheeks particularly when the back molars begin coming in. This is why you may see your baby rubbing their cheeks or pulling at their ears. However, keep in mind that pulling at an ear can also be a sign of an ear infection.

Diarrhea: While this is a symptom that is disagreed upon by physicians, researchers and parents, most parents usually notice slightly looser bowel movements when a baby is teething. While the recent study done by the Children’s Hospital in Australia found this to be the most common symptom of teething, there are still many people that will agree and disagree with this recent study. It is believed that the most likely cause of this is the extra saliva swallowed, which then loosens the stool. Be sure and report any diarrhea to your doctor that lasts more than two bowel movements.

Low-grade fever: A fever is another symptom that doctors are sometimes hesitant to directly link with teething. But there are many parents who will disagree with this and find their baby gets a slight fever while teething. The best thing to do is be extra safe and notify your doctor if a fever last more than two days.

Not sleeping well: With teething pain happening during the day and night, you may find your child wakes more often at night when the pain gets bad enough. Most parents agree that the night waking happens more often during the first set of teeth and with the molars.

Cold like symptoms (runny nose, etc.): Some parents find that their baby will show signs of having a cold. Runny noses, coughing and general cold symptoms are believed to come from the baby having their hands in their mouth more often. Play it safe and always notify your doctor if symptoms such as this occur.



How can I help my baby with the pain?

There are several things that you can try to help ease the pain of teething; some work and some don’t, but most parents agree they’re always worth a try. Teething rings, water filled and chilled rubber teething toys; mom and dads fingers can all provide counter pressure that can sometimes bring relief. Offering your baby a cold bottle of water can also help. If sucking on the bottle bothers your child, offer a cold cup of water. The water can also help replenish your baby’s fluid if they’re drooling a lot or have loose bowel movements.

Cold food has also been found to be helpful by some parents. Chilled applesauce, yogurt and pureed peaches may be more appealing to your baby and also more nutritious than a chilled teething ring.

When nothing else helps, you can also turn to the Infant Tylenol. Before giving your child Infant Tylenol (acetaminophen) always check with your doctor first. Your doctor will tell you if it’s all right and what the proper amount is to give your baby. Baby Orajel and other teething pain medicines that are applied to the gums can also provide some relief. Some parents say the Baby Orajel type products work great, while other parents will say it doesn’t. Also check with your doctor before giving this type of over the counter pain reliever to your baby.

The teething process will come and go just like so many other things with new babies. Keep trying different things until you find what provides the best relief for your child.

Note: Before trying any of the suggestions listed above or any other type of home remedy it is highly recommended that you contact your pediatrician first. You should follow your pediatricians advise first before trying anything mentioned on this site or on any other site. Your child's doctor knows what is best for your child.

Answer 2

Get some numbing gel from the drug store. Oragel makes a baby formula. Get him some teething rings you put in the freezer or freeze a bagel or waffle and let him gum on that (watch him to make sure he doesn't get any little pieces off that he could choke on).

You may want to try baby food (you know the pureed stuff) if he'll eat it or some cereal for nutrients. If you have to give up weening off the bottle for a week or so life is not over and it won't be on his college application so don't worry about it. Teething is really hard on little ones. They don't understand, they just know it hurts. Lotsa of extra love and if he wants a bottle for comfort no big deal.

Once the tooth (or teeth) come through go back to weening. The nipple of the bottle probably feels good on his gums, especially if what's inside is cold.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Try some Hyland teething tablets. They work wonders. They are all natural and they can be found in Wal mart and most drug stores. Also dose up on tylenol or motrin. and Anything that is cold. Popsicls and cold drinks. Have a bottle isn't bad at this point. My 14 month old is going through the same thing. She needs something and refused dinner I broke out the bottle and a little formula and she has been having 3 a day for the last week and anythig soft. Bananas, yogurt, oatmeal. That is the stuff that I can get her to eat. Cold soft and liquid.
I say good luck and something even a bottle is better than nothing.

Answer 4

get a pop ice, or another closed Popsicle of sorts and freeze it. then when he needs pain relief run the frozen Popsicle under water so it doesn't stick to his tongue and then let him chew on it all he wants. When he starts to actually open it with the teeth that are coming in you may have to figure something else out. always be sure to keep an eye on your little one too to make sure he doesn't choke on anything you give him. You could also wrap an ice cube in a rag and let him suck on that. then of course you could buy teething tablets and rings at the store. And baby pain reliever as well. then feed him after he has had the pain reliever so it doesn't hurt as much when he eats. Also, will he eat the soft baby foods? that may help him more, to eat mushy stuff.

Answer 5

Give him some baby oragel, and a little tylenol to help with the pain and possible fever. You can give him pedialite pops. The cold will feel good on his gums and he'll get some nutrients. Also, try giving him some soft food that he doesn't have to choose (after you numb his gums and give him a pain reliever) like Apple Sauce and Jello. Maybe try to feed him some mashed potatoes and gravy. My little one did well with that stuff when he was teething.

Answer 6

I would try a soother (pacifier). You could also try giving him some infant Tylenol or Motrin. They also make teething rings that can go in the freezer that he can later chew on. Those will also help soothe his gums. There are some topical gels that you could rub over the specific area, to help numb the pain. But, I would talk to a doctor or pharmacist before trying those. If you type in teething, on the WebMD website, you might find some helpful information. Also, try the LeLeche League for some help. They are wonderful women, with a lot of knowledge.

Answer 7

Try numbing stuff called Hurricain. You have to ask for it at a pharmay,but you don't need a perscription.That stuff is great. Baby orajel and stuff is ok, but it hardens the gums. Which in turn makes it harder for the other teeth to come through. And also don't worry about the baby not eating, as long as they drink juice and milk, they will be fine..

Answer 8

Try to get him to eat some zwieback once he settles down about the pain in his mouth. Zwieback is hard double-toasted bread that's crumbly and won't harm his throat. For now, sucking on an ice cube helped my child because it numbs it a little.

Answer 9

A 17 month old shouldn't be on a bottle. Are u sure his mouth his hurting from teething??

Answer 10

Try children's Tylenol. When my baby was teething the only thing helped was called a fresh fruit teeth er. You just put soft fruit in it. He can suck or chew on it and he'll just get the flavors and really small peaces of fruit out.If you have a Winn- Dixie around I know they sell them.

Answer 11

try some baby orajel while he's cutting teeth, and to wean him off the bottle, replace all the bottles in the house with sippy cups, and only give him the sippy cup at meal times and snack times. babies tend to get attatched to bottles, because when they are allowed to have a bottle all day long, it becomes thier property, and thier comfort zone. give him the sippy cup only at meal times and snack times, that way he wont fill up on liquids all day, and he'll be hungry when its time to eat. good luck! i hope this helped!