Tips To Soothe Teething Pain In Toddlers

Teething can be a slightly painful process for your toddler as his little teeth start shooting up through tender gums.

Some toddlers can cut both sets of molars with little or no pain, but that’s usually the exception from what most growing children experience. Teething normally involves excess drooling, feeling cranky and generally irritable, so it’s not the most pleasant experience for your toddler. Sometimes teething can take as long as two years, starting with the very first baby tooth that might develop as early as six months old, lasting till the last tooth coming through around your child’s third birthday. But that doesn’t mean that your child has to live in discomfort through the entire process.

Try these 6 tips to help soothe his teething pain:

1. Massage gums

Simplest remedies are often the best remedies. Use a clean finger or wet gauze to gently rub your child’s gums, as the applied pressure can help ease the discomfort. But discourage your child from stuffing his own fingers in his mouth to do the same, as there’s high risk of fingers not being clean.

2. Keep it chilled

Cold is a very popular and proven, effective remedy for teething pain, and cold foods such as ice cream or popsicles offer a lot of comfort to sore gums. Also, like when your toddler was a little baby, freezing a clean soft cloth and letting him suck on that can also help ease the pain and discomfort.

For younger toddlers, gnawing on chilled teething rings and chewable toys also provides a lot of relief. However, try using water-filled rings and toys, rather than ones with gel, as the latter can break more easily when they get harder because of the cold. But do take care that teething gels are generally discouraged since their safety and effectiveness still hasn’t been proven.

3. Nibble on teething biscuits

Teething biscuits are slightly harder and less sugary than normal biscuits, so they won’t crumble as easily with all the excessive drooling. Offer some to your child in place of cold treats from time to time.

4. Nibble on hard snacks

Depending on the age of your child, choose age-appropriate hard snacks that he could nibble on safely to put some pressure on gums and reduce the drooling, but without risk of choking. Some examples could be carrot sticks, apple slices, watermelon rind or cubes of hard cheese.

5. Bath time

A nice warm bath always relaxes children, so when all else fails, distract your child from painful teething with bath time. Add bubbles and toys to keep your toddler happily distracted for some times.

6. See a doctor

Teething can sometimes cause an increased temperature and general malaise, but still not quite high enough to be called a fever. Ask your doctor to prescribe some medication depending on your child’s age and weight, to be on the safe side. Do not self-medicate and do not use medication containing benzocaine or homeopathic teething tablets.

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