Baby teething or the emergence of the first set of teeth through the baby’s gums can be a painful time not only for the little ones but also for their parents. It can be a great help to know what you should expect when your baby is going through the baby teething stage as well as how you can make the process less painful for your baby.

Teething usually occurs as early as three months of age and continues until the third birthday. Between the 4th and 7th month, you will probably notice the first tooth coming out of the gum line. The first set of teeth is usually the two front teeth at the bottom, also called the central incisors. These are usually followed by the four front upper set of upper teeth which are called the lateral and central incisors that usually appear 4 to 8 weeks after the first set of teeth appeared. After a month, the two teeth closest to the bottom front teeth will usually appear.

Next to come out of the gum line are the first set of molars or the back teeth used for grinding the food and finally the pointy teeth or the eyeteeth in the upper jaw. Most children have their 20 baby teeth by their 3rd birthday. If there is significant delay, it’s advisable to consult a doctor.

In some cases, children are born with 1 or 2 teeth or have 1 or 2 teeth that have emerged in the first few weeks of like. However, this is not a cause of problem or concern except when the tooth interferes with feeding or is loose enough to cause choking.

As babies go through the baby teething stage, they might want to put many things in their mouth, chew things, and might drool more. This stage can be very painful although some babies may go through the process without experiencing any pain. Others may show noticeable irritability and crankiness for weeks, with disrupted eating and sleeping patterns and crying jags. Teething can really be uncomfortable; however, if your baby becomes very irritable, consult your doctor.

Although swollen and tender gums could cause higher temperature and slight fever, teething doesn’t generally cause diarrhea or high fever. If your baby develops high fever during this stage, it may be because of something else that might need the doctor’s attention.

Since this stage is normal, all you can do is to help your baby deal with the pain. You can do this by wiping your baby’s face more often with a cloth to prevent rashes and remove the drool. You should also use teething toys or something to chew on. You just have to make sure that it cannot be swallowed and that it’s not breakable into small pieces. One good example is a wet washcloth kept in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Just wash it after every use. You can also use your finger to rub your baby’s gums. Paracetamol or baby’s pain reliever may help relieve the pain during this baby teething stage.