Whether you’re a new parent or you have years of experience, teething symptoms can be difficult to recognize because every baby is different. It can be hard to tell if your child is really teething or if something more serious is going on. On their own, signs of teething can be difficult to distinguish from other issues. The following explains what teething looks like and what it doesn’t look like so you can properly ease your baby’s teething symptoms and recognize whether or not your child’s discomfort is something more serious.
When do babies start teething?
How to relieve teething pain and make your baby more comfortable
Products like Baby Orajel are sometimes used to ease your child’s teething discomfort but according to Kulich, they don’t work for the long haul. Consuming them can also irritate a baby’s digestive system which can contribute to loose bowels, skin iritation, and diaper rash; which could be partly why parents notice this as one of their baby’s teething symptoms.
“Topical anesthetics have been shown to be washed away by saliva in five to six seconds and are generally not effective,” says Kulich, who advises parents to give teething children refrigerated — not frozen — teething toys. He also sometimes recommends acetaminophen or ibuprofen to parents of teething tots; still, you should speak to your pediatrician before giving your child any medication.
“Our go-to method of helping lessen discomfort was to give them a damp washcloth to chew on. The texture was great for their gums and the cool dampness helped relieve pain,” mom of four Katie Reed told Mom.com. “We also would give them a clean toothbrush to chew the bristles. It helped the tooth to break through more quickly. It has to be a soft bristle brush and the baby has to be supervised at all times.”
