Teething can begin anywhere from birth to your baby’s third birthday though generally teething before the third month of life is rare. Most babies get their first tooth around four to six months old. This is usually a bottom front tooth, or both bottom front teeth. When the tooth first begins, you may notice the gum line is red or slightly swollen followed by a faint white spot, which then become a bump, which eventually surfaces as a tooth. For some babies this process is fast, occurring within a few days, for others teething can take months.

A teething baby will often drool excessively and gum just about anything it can get its mouth on. Teething is painless for some babies but can cause irritability and discomfort in others. You may notice your baby is crankier than usual, and has altered eating and sleeping habits. Some babies also get rashes when teething.

There are many ways to ease the teething process for your baby. These include:

Giving the baby something to chew on:

Parents try all sorts of things for this from frozen pastries to store bought plastic teething rings. As long as it cannot be swallowed and does not have pieces that could break off and be swallowed, it will work just fine. If possible, go for cool or cold objects when some give. A frozen wet cloth works well.

Place a bib on baby and wipe drool often:

One of the main causes of the rash many babies get while teething is skin irritation from the constant drool. If you keep a bib on baby you’ll have to change your baby’s clothing less often. Try to keep the skin dry by frequent wiping.

Massage the baby’s gums:

Some babies enjoy this, others do not, and you will have to try it to find out. Simply take your finger and massage your baby’s gums.

Medication:

As a last resort, there are many infant teething gels and tablets available to ease pain. Some of these are rubbed onto the gums others can be placed under the tongue to dissolve. Be sure to read the packaging and follow instructions, if you have any questions call your pediatrician before use.