Diseases

Symptoms include:

• Increased irritability
• Placing objects or fingers in the mouth and biting down on them
• Increased saliva or drooling
• Loss of appetite or becoming choosy about foods
• Tender and swollen gums
• Rash on cheeks or redness in the area of the cheeks near the affected gums
• Restlessness
• Ear pulling, which may be a sign of teething or possibly an ear infection (make an appointment to have your child seen by your doctor or pediatrician)

Teething does not result in fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. If your child experiences these problems, contact your doctor.

• Massage your child's gums with a clean finger or the back of a small cold spoon
• Allow your child to bite down on a chilled (but never frozen) teething ring. A frozen teething ring can damage the gums.
• Try an over-the-counter teething ointment to numb the gums. Ask your dentist or doctor for some product recommendations.
• Allow your child to suck on a cold, wet cloth

Teething biscuits or cookies and frozen bananas are not recommended. These objects promote tooth decay and may cause your child to choke.

Teething refers to the time when baby teeth (also called deciduous teeth or primary teeth) appear. Generally, teething first occurs between 6 months and 24 months of age. While this process is uneventful in some children; for others, it causes quite a bit of discomfort and irritability. Check out this tooth chart and learn when to expect your baby's teeth to appear.

Some infants are born with one or more teeth (called natal teeth) or may have teeth emerge within the first 30 days of life (called neonatal teeth). These usually are either extra teeth or are remnants from neonatal development that do not need treatment. If they are, however, actual teeth, it's a good idea to maintain them. Your doctor, however, may recommend removing them if the teeth are loose and pose a danger of being inhaled by your baby. Early teeth may also interfere with feeding or irritate your baby's tongue. Talk to your doctor to see what treatment is right for your baby. Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Dentistry. Reviewed by Jay H. Rosoff, DDS, on March 1, 2007 Edited by Charlotte E. Grayson Mathis, MD, on May 1, 2005 Portions of this page © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2005