Teething

Question 1

what is teething

Answer 1

when the baby teeth emerge through the gums

Question 2

what age does teething generally start

Answer 2

6 months but symptoms can show at 4 months

Question 3

when do the baby teeth fully emerge and when do they fall out

Answer 3

-3 years fully emerge
-6 years start to fall out

Question 4

what is the diagnosis/symptoms for teething

Answer 4

-usually experiences symptoms 2-3 days before each tooth eruption
-pain
-increased biting and chewing
-gum rubbing
-disturbed sleep
-decreased appetite
-tender red gums

Question 5

how to manage teething (practical measures)

Answer 5

-first reassure that the symptoms are quite common
-gentle rubbing of the gum with a clean finger
-allow infant to bite on a clean and cool object
-reassure the child
-wipe excess saliva to reduce facial rash

Question 6

treatment for teething

Answer 6

if practical measures have not helped:
-paracetamol/ibuprofen to relieve symptoms (3 months and older)

• topical oral lidocaine containing products (lidocaine is a local anaesthetic that numbs part of the body (this case it is gums) to prevent and relieve pain). Products include: BONJELA soothing gel (5 months and above) and DENTINOX teething gels. They are P medicines. only recommended if practical measures didn’t work. HOWEVER:
  -infant can swallow too much lidocaine, causes fatalities
  -not very effective as it washes out of the infant’s mouth in minutes, doesn’t relieve pain