6 Signs Your Baby's First Tooth is Emerging

The appearance of your baby’s first tooth is undoubtedly an exciting moment for parents. At times, however, the process can be stressful for our children and seem eternal.

There are a lot of signs that detect the arrival of a child’s first teeth. There are also tips that can help them cope with the process.

Once the first tooth arrives the rest of it is a piece of cake. All the other teeth will appear just like magic.

This process known as teething, begins when the child is around 7 months old. However, there are a few exceptions to the rule.

Many babies are born already having a tooth. Sometimes babies start to develop their teeth early around 2 or 3 months after birth. There are also babies that maintain a toothless smile even after a year.

Signs that the first tooth is about to emerge

There are several indications that warn us about the emergence of the famous first tooth. Do you suspect that a nice little pearl is about to appear in your baby’s smile?

Well then, here are 6 signs that will let you know if the much expected moment is about to begin.

• Excessive salivation. This is one of the clearest signs that predicts the beginning of this process. However, it does not necessarily imply immediacy. It is advisable to use lots of wipes and bibs when excessive salivation begins.
• Rash and cough. As a result of excessive salivation, the baby can begin to present a certain type of irritation around their hands and face. This can be solved by keeping both of these areas dry. The baby might also start to present a little bit of cough.
• Irritability and insomnia. The discomfort that is caused by both the excessive salivation and the discomfort they feel on their gum is a very common sign of teething. It is important to be patient when this process begins because the first teeth can put even the nicest baby in a terrible mood.
• The baby starts to bring everything to its mouth. Has your child started biting you when breastfeeding? This indicates that the infant is putting pressure on their gums in order to feel relief. If you start to notice your child bring everything towards its mouth, bingo! The first tooth is about to emerge. When they bite on something it relieves the pain they feel on their gums. They bite their hands, clothes and all kinds of objects. You should attentively watch your child during this process to prevent them from biting things that could cause infection, intoxication or suffocation.
• Diarrhea. It is much more common that you might imagine. Diarrhea is as a result of the objects that they put in their mouths. In other words, it is not directly linked to the teething process itself. If this symptom persists, it is recommended that you consult your pediatrician as soon as possible. It might be a symptom of another condition.
• All kinds of mood swings. The changes in a child’s behavior and mood can be frightening. The baby might become lethargic and apathetic due to the pain and discomfort. Others babies become more active and alert when the teething process begins. They start to seek all sorts of activities in order to distract them from their discomfort. They might even start to pull on their own ears and hair.

Emergence of the first tooth: How to proceed?

Any one of these above mentioned signs can indicate the appearance of the first baby tooth. They anticipate the beginning of the so-called teething process.

Now, how should we act in such a case? What can we do to calm and relieve our children’s discomforts?

As always, there is nothing better than going to your trusted pediatrician. Only then can the expert confirm your hypothesis or interpret the symptoms as a sign of something else.

The information that the specialist shares with us is important in order to have peace of mind and also in order to know how to alleviate the child’s suffering.

If your pediatrician confirms that the symptoms are due to the arrival of the first milk teeth, they might prescribe some drops. These drops are extremely efficient in soothing their gum pain. However, pediatricians recommend that the drops are used reasonably in order to prevent side effects.

They sometimes recommended the use of gels and rubber nipples to soothe the baby’s pain. You will see that with all of these tips, the process will be more enjoyable for everyone. There will be nothing more beautiful than the renewed friendly smile of your child with their new pearly white teeth.