How to help your child when he is teething

Teething in children usually begins at 4-7 months and continues until 2.5-3 years. This is a natural physiological process, and usually it does not worsen the baby’s health, but in some cases a deterioration in well-being may still be observed, especially when the most painful of the teeth, the first incisors, come out. They, as a rule, erupt the most painfully, and their appearance in a child can often be accompanied by anxiety, increased salivation, swelling and soreness of the gums, loss of appetite, and sometimes - bowel dysfunction and an increase in temperature to 37-38, and sometimes up to 39 ° C .

Next, we will look at the most effective means and methods with which you can, to one degree or another, numb the gums during teething without harming the baby. At the same time, we also note the most common mistakes of parents, which can only aggravate the situation.

Remedies and methods commonly used for painful teething in children

All remedies that are used for painful teething in babies can be divided into medicinal and non-medicinal.

Medications used to provide pain relief include the following:

The use of medications alone to relieve gum pain in children is not always sufficient, therefore, in addition to medications, non-drug medications and methods of pain relief are also used. Here, first of all, it is worth noting the use of various teethers, as well as gum massage.

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In addition, it just so happens that many parents actively use various folk remedies, such as soothing warm tea, cool vegetables and fruits pureed, diluted clove oil, cold gauze lotions and even breast milk. With the right approach, such methods of pain relief for gums in children also have a right to exist - it is only important to understand that in most cases they are relatively ineffective.

Pain-relieving (“cooling”) gels

Among the “cooling” gels for gum pain relief, one of the most popular today are Kalgel and Dentol Baby.

Kalgel contains lidocaine hydrochloride (anesthetic) and cetidylpyridinium hydrochloride (antiseptic). Lidocaine is quite effective in relieving pain in the gums during teething, and sometimes completely eliminates it for a while. Cetidylpyridinium hydrochloride protects gums from bacterial damage.

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Lidocaine injections were previously widely used in dentistry for pain relief during dental treatment (today they have been replaced by even more effective drugs). It should be noted that this substance sometimes causes an allergic reaction, so for the first time it is better to use a gel containing it in a minimal amount - for testing.

The advantage of Kalgel is rapid pain relief, which occurs just a few minutes after its application, as well as the ability to be used in infants from 3 months.

Like other pain-relieving gels, Kalgel is used topically: a small amount is applied to the inflamed area of the gum (no more than 6 times a day). When using this drug, you need to take into account that there is a small chance that the baby will develop an allergic reaction to its components - therefore, after using the product, the child should be carefully monitored.

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The lidocaine-based anesthetic gel Kamistad is also popular, but it is important to consider that it is used only for children over 12 years of age (for example, for stomatitis, gingivitis). The fact is that the concentration of anesthetic in it is increased, and in an infant it would cause too much numbness in the mouth and tongue, as well as increased salivation (there may be problems with swallowing this saliva).

As for the “cooling” gel Dentol Baby, its main active ingredient that relieves pain is benzocaine. It provides a quick pain-relieving effect, which appears within a couple of minutes after rubbing into the gums and can last up to 20 minutes.

According to the instructions, Dentol Baby gel can be used in infants starting from 4 months of age (no more than 4 times a day and no longer than 7 days in a row). As with Kalgel, it is worth remembering the possibility of developing an allergic reaction to the components of the drug.

In general, we can say that a significant advantage of “cooling” gels based on anesthetics is a well-defined and quickly onset analgesic effect (in this regard, many anti-inflammatory and, especially, homeopathic drugs are much inferior). Meanwhile, many parents still avoid using gels with anesthetics, not wanting to “stuff their child with chemicals.”

Anti-inflammatory drugs

Of the anti-inflammatory drugs used to relieve pain during teething, the most used in infants today is Cholisal gel. Its main active substance, choline salicylate, has a combined effect: local analgesic (relieves pain), anti-inflammatory and antipyretic.

Kholisal also includes:

Cetalkonium chloride (provides bactericidal, antiviral and antimycotic effects);
Gel ethanol-containing base, which helps preserve active ingredients on the mucous membrane for a long time, prolonging the overall effect.

The analgesic effect can last from 2 to 8 hours. As for age restrictions, the instructions only note the need for careful use in children under 1 year of age.

The drug is used no more than three times a day.

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Although the instructions say that pain can be relieved within two to three minutes after applying the gel, in reality things may not be so rosy. The effect does not occur as quickly as when using gels based on lidocaine or benzocaine. In addition, the baby may not like the burning sensation that is felt for some time when Cholisal gets on the oral mucosa (imagine that the baby’s gums will already be painful and inflamed).

Homeopathic remedies - gels, suppositories, tablets, drops and syrups

Among the homeopathic remedies that facilitate teething, children's drops Dantinorm Baby, Baby Doctor "First Teeth" gel, Pansoral "First Teeth" gel, and sometimes also Viburkol suppositories are often used. These drugs are based on herbal components (usually extracts of certain plants).

It should be understood that when assessing the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines, there is often no difference at all between the placebo (dummy) and the “medicine” itself. This means that any positive effect from treatment is often caused by natural recovery from illness, and not by the influence of a particular drug on the body.

Simply put, homeopathic remedies cannot be guaranteed to actually relieve teething pain. To some extent, the very fact of using any of these drugs can be considered as a distracting procedure (the child may calm down a little simply by observing his sensations when using these drugs). It is also a way for parents to convince themselves that they are not just sitting on their hands, but are doing something useful - giving their child harmless herbal “medicines.”

How effective and safe are teethers?

Among the non-medicinal means that facilitate teething in infants, so-called teethers are often used. In addition to performing their main function, biting them is a kind of preparation for the child to receive adult food and the chewing process, and also helps in the correct formation of the bite and jaw growth.

Such procedures promote massage of the gums - the teether acts as a massager, due to which the blood flow to the gums increases and, as a result, tooth eruption is facilitated.

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The principle of operation of these devices is that when a child is teething, he constantly tries to bite something with his gums, and at this moment he is given a teether - the baby enthusiastically chews it and thereby massages the gums. At the same time, due to its shape and material, the teether is completely safe, pleasant for the child, stimulates the outflow of blood and lymph from inflamed gums with subsequent relief of pain, and also accelerates the process of teething.

It is clear that it will not be possible to quickly numb the baby’s gums with the help of such means, however, in general, during the teething period they can significantly alleviate the child’s condition.

Teethers vary in shape, size and material used to make them. They can have various modifications: in the form of a toy, rattle, book or a special fingertip with a brush. You can also find cooling teethers filled with water (they are placed in the refrigerator for a while and then given to the baby), and even vibrating ones. There are many varieties, and the best option in each specific case can be selected individually, depending on the child’s age, level of development and preferences.

Like other products, teethers have their advantages and disadvantages.

The main advantage is that when using them, the gums are massaged and, to a certain extent, teething actually becomes easier.

The disadvantage is the inability of teethers to quickly and significantly relieve pain in the baby. It should also be taken into account that cheap models may contain harmful substances that can cause allergic reactions and irritation of the gums.

Gum massage

Another way to reduce teething pain to some extent is to massage your gums. Its effectiveness is approximately the same as that of teethers, but the advantage is that if carried out correctly, you can be sure that the force is applied exactly to the area that currently needs it most.

Usually, the massage is done for the first time before lunch in order to monitor the baby’s reaction to the new procedure. At the same time, the child should feel good and be willing to communicate. If the baby is not feeling well, has a fever, or has problems with bowel movements, then it is better to postpone gum massage.

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Another contraindication for massage is difficult tooth eruption, which is accompanied by bleeding. In this case, it is usually recommended to avoid any additional mechanical impact on the gums.

If the child’s condition is normal, then the massage will be pleasant and useful for him.

Before the procedure it is necessary to prepare:

Wash your hands thoroughly (with disinfectant);
Nails are trimmed;
If the massage will be carried out using a special finger massager, then it must first be disinfected (the procedure can also be carried out using a special finger napkin, which is specially designed for such cases).

The massage is carried out from the edges of the areas that bother the child, to the area of tooth eruption, but without affecting it. In this case, the following techniques are used: rubbing the gums, stroking, pressing and a combination of these actions.

At the end of the procedure, oral hygiene is performed (brushing teeth and rinsing the mouth with water). It is recommended to accustom your baby to hygiene from the newborn period, so by the time active teething begins, the child will already get used to it.

Folk remedies to ease teething

As noted above, often parents of babies resort to the use of various folk remedies, supposedly allowing them to reduce pain in a child with difficulty teething. Typically, such pain relief methods are used due to their availability and popularity with older relatives (grandparents), who often act as authoritative consultants.

A classic example is that they often try to numb a child’s gums with diluted clove oil. It is believed that it can relieve inflammation in the gums and has an analgesic effect. There is nothing wrong with this (as with the use of homeopathic medicines), but it is only important to take into account that clove oil in its pure form is never used, as it can lead to a burn of the mucous membrane.

The “pain-relieving” effect attributed to breast milk is also widely known. Thus, it is known that if a child is teething, it is enough to simply give him the breast to calm him down. In reality, of course, there is no actual pain relief here - the child, upon contact with the mother’s breast, calms down reflexively, even if his gums continue to hurt. However, the procedure is really effective and makes it easier for the baby and his parents to get through a difficult period.

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The popular method of relieving toothache by applying garlic to a sore tooth should never be used on a child. At best, this will lead to a chemical burn of the gums, and at worst, to pulp necrosis in an unerupted milk tooth with the subsequent development of pulpitis and (or) periodontitis.

Features of nutrition during teething

When baby teeth appear, it becomes very important to correctly select complementary foods so that it not only does not increase pain in the baby’s gums, but also helps to calm him down.

It is useful during this period to give the child fibrous purees of fruits and vegetables - apples, pears, carrots - which, when the baby tries to chew, provide gum massage and pain relief. It’s good if such purees are not exactly cold, but at least slightly cool - this will not lead to a cold, but will help ease the pain.

It is advisable to give complementary foods to the child before milk, and if the entire portion of food consists only of complementary foods, then after it give the child water to wash away any remaining food from the gums - due to the large amount of carbohydrates, bacteria can develop in them, which can increase inflammation during teething teeth.

Surgical teething diseases

The process of teething (character and timing) is one of the indicators of the normal development of the baby. However, sometimes serious disturbances in teething can occur.

For example, retention is difficult eruption, refers to pathologies of tooth development and can be associated with diseases and damage to the teeth and jaws. Depending on whether the child has complete or incomplete retention, different diagnoses are possible, sometimes related to the general functioning of the whole organism.

Another pathology is dystopia, in which a fully erupted tooth is not located in the place where it should be (sometimes it even goes beyond the dentition).

Supernumerary teeth may also be observed - an example is shown in the photo below:

Pathologies include serious violations of the timing of the appearance of baby teeth. Thus, there are concepts of early, premature or delayed teething. Of these, the early one is quite rare, and the late one is more common.

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There are cases when a child can be born with already erupted milk teeth. Most often these are the central incisors.

Premature teething can be explained by the individual characteristics of the child, and such cases are less often than others considered as a pathology.

Delayed eruption can be considered a disease if its timing is very delayed. This can be caused by various reasons: disturbances in mineral metabolism, heredity, diseases of the osteochondral base, digestive disorders, decreased activity of the thyroid gland, etc.

Pediatric and surgical dentistry deals with the treatment of these diseases. Depending on the cause of the teething disorder, treatment methods are selected individually, and these can be either means aimed at improving the general condition of the baby’s body or surgical intervention.

Common mistakes made by parents

Among the most common mistakes parents make during the period when a child is teething are the following:

When to see a doctor

In general, parents need to remember that the most effective and safe remedy for their child will be prescribed by a doctor, as a professional with extensive experience. Moreover, in this case, it is not at all necessary to consult a pediatric dentist - an appointment with a pediatrician who has seen similar situations many times will also be quite effective.

It is necessary to consult a doctor in the following cases:

If it is obvious that the methods used to relieve pain in the baby are not effective enough (it is possible that the problem may not be related to teething alone);
If the baby has a high temperature for a long time against the background of painful teething;
If bluish-colored swelling is observed on the gums in the eruption area (these may be eruption cysts);
If severe side effects develop from taking medications - rash, itching, redness, swelling.

In all these cases, it is necessary for the doctor to examine the child and give further recommendations - attempts to cope with the problem on your own will be associated with too high a risk of worsening the situation.

If you have personal experience in using certain methods of relieving teething pain in your baby, be sure to share the information by leaving your review at the bottom of this page.

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