Sometime around 6 months of age, your baby’s first tooth will appear, typically in the front center of the lower jaw. This eruption of primary teeth (baby teeth) is called teething. The mandibular central incisors are the first primary teeth to erupt usually causing discomfort.
Minor discomfort is associated with teething, and some of the symptoms you will see include grouchiness or fussiness, sore or inflamed gums, excessive drooling, loss of appetite, a change in eating habits or difficulty in sleeping. These should not cause alarm and are to be expected.
However, if your baby experiences other problems during the teething process such as rash, fever or vomiting, something else may be wrong. Consult with your doctor in those cases, and do not make the assumption it is due to teething.
The best thing to do to aid discomfort is to clean your baby’s mouth with a damp gauze pad two or three times daily, and give your baby a teething ring to chew on. The biting pressure seems to relieve discomfort especially if the teething ring is chilled. Dental professionals may recommend topical medicines specially made to place on sore gums in teething babies. Only use medicines intended for this purpose and follow directions carefully.