Teething Bites

Oh, teething. This is one aspect of my son’s babyhood that I gladly leave behind. I vividly remember the sleepless nights, the fussiness, and the decrease in his appetite. The appearance of his first pearly whites caused him nothing but distress. It was no fun at all.

I often struggled to find ways to console and comfort him during these times. I tried everything form teething rings, to cold/wet washcloths, to massaging the gums. Nothing really seemed to work. What was more confusing to me was reading what other experts had to say about teething.

Many experts assert that teething doesn’t really cause pain, low grade fevers, or increase in congestion. However, by observing my own son, what I noticed was this: with every single tooth trying to make its way through, he was fussy, irritable, often had a low grade fever (lower than 101 F), and had increased congestion secondary to an increase in drooling.

He did suffer during teething and it did cause him symptoms attributed specifically to his teething. Yes, I always looked for other possible causes but the one staring me right in the face (teething) was usually the culprit.

With the recent recall in Hyland’s Teething Tablets, it brought me back to the time I reached for those teething tablets desperate for some relief. I was hesitant for sure but I was also a sleep-deprived mom trying to console and help her little miserable teether. They didn’t really seem to help and I gave them up after a couple of tries.

So what’s a Mom to do when dealing with teething and the symptoms associated with it?

• First of all, recognize that teething symptoms can range from nonexistent (lucky!) to downright miserable. I have experienced both. My daughter had a full set of teeth before I even realized it. She breezed right through teething. As you know, my son did not. He (we) suffered sleepless nights, crankiness, excessive drooling, and low grade fevers.

• Not all teething babies will exhibit signs or symptoms of pain but they will have the need to gnaw. These babies will happily drool, gnaw on teething rings and wet/cold washcloths, and be comforted by gum massages. Yay for these babies too. No need to reach for pain relievers.

• Other comforting techniques: cold liquids, frozen blueberries, pacifiers, and holding/rocking.

• If your child clearly seems to be in pain, acetaminophen can provide some temporary relief. For obvious reasons, I would not offer teething tablets or oral numbing gels. I also tried the numbing gel on my son but did not like that the gel could potentially numb the throat and cause problems with swallowing.

• While teething can cause low grade fever (lower than 101 F), it is still important to rule out other infectious causes that may be occurring coincidentally with teething. Take the whole picture into account. If you’ve got a toddler with 3 teeth erupting simultaneously, the gums are red and swollen, he is obviously cranky, drooling, and has a fever of 100.4 F…teething would be high on my list as the culprit.

• Whenever in doubt, consult your child’s pediatrician. Teething can cause pain and discomfort. I’ve witnessed this first hand.

• Finally, realize you are doing what you can. If nothing seems to be working, try a change of scenery. When my son seemed at the height of his teething misery and none of my techniques were working, I would give him a bath or go for a drive. For some reason, these things seemed to take him out of the teething funk. Even if it was only temporary, I was grateful.

How did your children handle teething? Any tips you’d like to share that seemed to help your little teethers?