My Child’s First tooth!
Your baby’s first tooth can appear between the four to six months of age. Unfortunately this process is that be uncomfortable for your baby. Here are some tips to help your baby through this process.
There are some steps you can take to start their dental care early such as, wraping you finger around a wash cloth and gently rubing their gums, this can stimulate their gums and get you both into the habit of oral cleaning. Your child may start drooling therefore it is a good idea to keep a damp cloth or a bib with you at all times to prevent irritation or rash forming.
Soon you will start seeing your baby’s first tooth which is usually the lower front pair, teeth can come in sets of two so the next two teeth that come through will most likely be the top two.
The initial teeth can change you baby’s behaviour and cause them to be fussier. Teething can last from 6 months to three years of age. When the first teeth erupt it can be the worst but babies can get used to it once the first sets of teeth arrive. As a parent something you can do to help sooth the process would be getting your child a teething toy so that they have something safe and comfortable to chew on. Chilled teething rings are helpful as they help the gums by numbing them briefly.
Now that the teeth have began to erupt baby food can now introduced. Cold foods such as applesauce, yogurt and baby foods can help the teething process. Strained food can come next as your child can now experiment with new textures. Allowing them to take tiny bites of foods such as unsalted mashed potatoes, oatmeal, macaroni and well cooked vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes. Choose your child’s food carefully as you would want to pick the food that are easy to handle and will not present a choking hazard.
Sources:Colgate- Child’s First tooth
