Teething can be a challenging time for babies and their parents, causing symptoms that range from drooling to irritability to trouble sleeping. Your child may also be trying to chew on objects, rub their face, or be difficult to soothe.

You can help your baby through the teething process with the following tips to help reduce their teething discomfort.

Massage Your Child’s Gums

Applying light pressure to your child’s gums via a gum massage can help temporarily alleviate their teething pain until an episode passes. Be sure to always wash your hands before putting your finger in your baby’s mouth.

You can gently massage your child’s gums to help soothe them while their teeth are coming in. Be sure not to apply too much pressure and if your baby shows signs of additional distress, discontinue this practice.

Keep Stress to a Minimum

Inflammation during the teething process causes your child’s mouth to hurt. Any additional stress on your baby can exacerbate their symptoms, so keeping your baby as comfortable as possible during this time is important.

For some babies, soothing activities such as breastfeeding (if you choose to breastfeed your child) or a warm bath can help distract a baby from their discomfort and calm them down.

Give Them a Cold Object

There are many objects on the market today that can be chilled or frozen for your baby to chew on to help numb their mouth and stop their teething pain. These include:

 Teething toys. These may include teething rings, wooden toys which can help apply pressure, or even teething necklaces that go in the freezer and can be given to baby for them to chew on for cool relief.

 Frozen fruit. Never give your baby whole frozen fruit as they may choke; instead, you can try putting the fruit in mesh bags that are tied off or sealed and allowing your baby to chew and refilling as needed.

 Other frozen objects. You may also choose to try a cold spoon, a frozen washcloth, or other objects to help alleviate your baby’s pain, just be sure your child cannot choke on the object and always supervise your baby!

Teething Gel

Your dentist may recommend a teething gel to provide your baby with quick relief in the event that they are inconsolable with these other tips during the teething process. Your dentist can let you know what gel they recommend and where you can find it as well as how to apply it. Typically, any type of pain medication is used as a last resort for babies who are teething.

Is your child going through the teething process? Emerging teeth can be uncomfortable for babies and anxiety inducing for parents who have to comfort their baby during this time. You can help alleviate your baby’s discomfort and stress with the above tips for teething pain!

The post Tips for Treating Teething Pain in Infants appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

A chipped tooth has the potential to cause your baby discomfort, so what can you do if this
happens? Here’s how you can treat your baby’s chipped tooth until you can get to your child-
friendly dentist.

Contact Your Dentist

If you’re able, contact your child’s dentist after you notice your baby’s tooth has been chipped.
Your dentist can provide you with more specific instructions about what to do, and may even
be able to squeeze you in for an appointment.

Your dentist may want to know if the tooth is bleeding, if the tooth fragment has been found,
or if your child appears to be in pain. It’s a good idea to keep contact information for your
child’s dentist and pediatrician on hand for events such as these.

Rinse and Store

If you’re able to find the fragment of your child’s tooth, you can rinse it gently with water and store in saliva, milk, or water until you can bring it to the dentist. In the meantime, you can gently rinse your baby’s mouth with warm water—this is especially important to do if you cannot locate the tooth fragment and there’s a chance it may still be in your child’s mouth.

Your dentist can provide you with further instructions about storing the tooth fragment until
you can get in for an appointment. In some cases, as long as the tooth fragment is kept moist,
your dentist may still be able to reattach it to your child’s tooth.

Utilize a Cold Compress

If your baby appears to be in pain, you can utilize a cold compress to reduce any discomfort or
swelling. Never give a baby any over-the-counter pain medication or numbing gel without first
consulting with your dentist or pediatrician.

Quick action after the accident can help prevent infection and discomfort, so never ignore your baby’s chipped tooth and always follow your dentist’s instructions for handling the problem to keep your baby safe and healthy.

Just because your baby’s primary tooth isn’t permanent doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek
treatment for your child. A tooth chip can not only be painful, but can also allow bacteria to
enter the tooth root, which can cause an infection and even early tooth loss, which can disrupt
the alignment of the adult teeth that will come in in a few years.

By securing the tooth fragment if you’re able, rinsing your baby’s mouth, and keeping your baby comfortable, you can ensure your child is ready for their dentist appointment to repair the chipped tooth!

The post How Do I Treat My Baby’s Chipped Tooth? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Although teething can be a challenging time for both parents and kids, it’s important to
remember that this is only a temporary experience for your child. Teething tends to be worse
when children are tired or at night, making it harder for both you and your baby to sleep.
How can you help your baby feel better when the pain of teething is present? Here are some
suggestions to best manage your child’s teething.

Cold Compresses

Cold can help numb baby’s mouth and lessen their pain. To do this, you have a few options:

 A frozen washcloth. Put a clean, wet washcloth in the freezer in a plastic bag. Once
chilled or frozen, take it out and let your child chew on it. This will help relieve their
soreness.

 Rubber teething rings. These rings can be frozen or chewed on at room temperature,
whichever your baby prefers.

 Wooden teething toys. For those wanting to avoid plastic, these teethers can still be
frozen or just help apply pressure to your child’s gums, which will help control pain.
It’s essential to always supervise your child when they have any of these objects at their
disposal. To help distract baby, keep alternating frozen washcloths to help your child manage
the discomfort of teething.

Gum Massage

A gum massage helps put pressure on the gumline, which can lessen pain. You can use a tool
for this—called a teething stick—or just use your clean fingers.

Gently rub any sore areas on your baby’s gums. You can rub back and forth on the gumline as
well as above and below the gumline. This will also help you to feel if there’s a tooth coming
out. Instead of using your fingers, you can also use the washcloth we discussed earlier or a
small piece of wet gauze, as long as your movements are gentle.

You can also massage your baby’s gums from the outside of the mouth, whichever option your
child is more comfortable with.

Chilled Foods

If your child is eating solid foods, you can use cold or chilled foods to help them overcome their
discomfort while teething. These foods include yogurt, applesauce, carrots, celery, and
watermelon.

In addition, you can also take advantage of mesh holders that are designed to hold chilled or
frozen fruit so that your child can chew on these and still get the juice of the fruit out while
providing relief for their teething pain.

It’s always crucial to supervise your child while they are eating these foods, especially if they’re
beginners with solid foods. Never let them bite off chunks that are too big for them to chew.
Is your baby going through the teething process? If so, take advantage of some of these helpful
suggestions to lessen your baby’s discomfort. Your child may find relief from using cold
compresses or chilled foods in addition to gum massage to help both you and your child feel
better!

The post How to Best Manage Your Child’s Teething appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Is it Loose?

When your child’s tooth begins to get loose, there are a couple of things happening in the mouth here—the first is that the adult teeth have actually started to grow, so the roots of the baby teeth get reabsorbed into the mouth. The second thing that’s happening is that since the tooth now no longer really has “roots”, it is usually only still there by a small amount of tissue. This is usually when the tooth becomes very loose and will fall out. If your child’s tooth feels extremely loose, it’s ok to pull it. Make sure that your hands are dry and try to dry the area around your child’s tooth as best as you can. Many people prefer to use a tissue or a soft cloth to grab hold of the tooth which will help keeping the area dry. A twisting motion is best when pulling that tooth out, and don’t worry about hurting your child—since there’s no roots left, there’s usually little to no pain when pulling out very loose baby teeth.

Give it Time

When it comes to deciding whether or not to pull your child’s baby tooth out, it’s always best to give it time. Your child’s adult teeth will begin to grow, loosen the baby teeth, and fall out on their own normally. If you feel your child’s baby tooth and it feels pretty rooted in there, this is not the time to begin pulling and you may hurt your child as the roots may still be connected, meaning the tooth is just not ready to come out yet. As the tooth becomes looser, you can encourage your child to work the tooth back and forth or push it with their tongue. Many children love doing this and find it exciting. With your child’s help and the body’s natural growth, it’s likely that the tooth will come out in no time. It’s only ok to pull when the tooth feels very loose— remember, teeth that feel solid in the mouth should not be yanked or twisted. Give your child’s baby teeth the time they need to come out on their own.

Your child is growing and changing constantly throughout the years they lose their baby teeth. While pulling baby teeth may be necessary at points (such as if the tooth is extremely loose and there is a risk for your child accidentally swallowing it while eating), you should encourage your child to help loosen the tooth and let it come out on its own. Have fun!

The post When (And When Not) to Pull Those Baby Teeth appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

The sucking action is natural for infants, but the natural action usually decreases before a baby is one year old. Thumbsucking beyond this age is a habit, but this usually decreases by about the age of 6. Most dentists agree that thumbsucking is harmless in the early years before the permanent teeth have erupted. If the habit continues after that, it can cause problems with the teeth and the roof of the mouth, which can lead to crooked teeth or buck teeth.

The problem with thumbsucking and teeth positioning occurs when the intensity of the sucking puts pressure on the roof of the mouth. This can cause the front teeth to be pushed forward, sometimes both front teeth and sometimes just one. Damage to the roof of the mouth can also occur, and the child may develop a callous on their thumb.

Some parents give their newborn infant a pacifier in the hopes that this will decrease the likelihood of the child picking up the thumbsucking habit. Pacifier use can actually cause the same dental problems as thumbsucking, but it may be an easier habit for the child to break. For one thing, parents can take pacifiers away from children when they reach a certain age, but they can’t take the child’s thumb away. Most children will distance themselves from pacifiers on their own when they get older or when they start school. Thumbsucking may be the more dangerous habit, because the thumb is always with the child and always a temptation.

Helping an older child break the thumbsucking habit can be accomplished with encouragement and patience. Rewards for not thumbsucking, rather than punishment for thumbsucking, are recommended to encourage the child’s self-esteem. Some older children who suck their thumbs are troubled by anxiety or other self-esteem issues, so punishment or criticism may make the problem worse.

Physical barriers to thumbsucking like mittens, finger splints or bitter tasting liquid on the thumbnail may work with some children, but others may feel frustrated by these methods, and then the emotional desire to suck the thumb can increase. When a child has a difficult time breaking the habit of sucking their thumb, intervention from a mental health professional could help. A visit to a dentist can also determine how the child’s thumbsucking is affecting their teeth.

The post Thumbsucking: Innocent Habit or Dental Nightmare? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.