Did you know that approximately in one of every 2,000 births in the UK, the baby is born with teeth?
Teeth actually begin to form whilst the baby is still in the womb and do not usually come through until the baby is between 6 months and a year old. But sometimes they are born with several teeth already through.
Fun facts!
The current Guinness Book of Records holder for the baby born with the most teeth is held by Sean Keaney (UK) of Newbury, Berkshire who was born on 10 April 1990 with 12 teeth! Whilst the age of the oldest person to retain a milk tooth goes to Ilse Challis who still had one of hers at the age of 88! Fun facts aside, teething can be a pretty testing time for babies and parents! There are no hard and fast rules about when your babies teeth will appear - everyone is different.
Signs to look out
* dribbling more than usual
* flushed cheeks
* sore, red gums
* loss of appetite irritability and disturbed sleep restlessness
* chewing and biting on everything.
Of course some babies sail through the teething stage without any apparent distress and some teeth will also appear without any obvious outward signs.
But what can you do if your baby is experiencing teething discomfort?
Give lots and lots of cuddles, as this will help to comfort and reassure your baby. Rub gums with a clean finger and this will help soothe your baby. Think about using a teething ring. Keep your baby’s neck and chin clean and dry, this is very important if they suffer from a lot of dribbling. Use a bandana bib and a barrier cream if these areas are getting red. The latest advice from the experts is to try and avoid teething gels, ask your health visitor for the latest information.
Gnashed up- looking after your baby’s teeth.
Once your baby’s teeth come through it’s vital you take time to look after them correctly. So you need to start brushing their teeth right from the start with a small headed soft tooth brush. Try and make brushing time fun and register your little one with a dentist. You should also watch out for hidden sugar content in juices and some foods. Never feel tempted to put anything sweet in your baby’s bottle or on a dummy. Best stick to water in between feeds. Try and aim to introduce a cup, rather than a bottle as soon as possible. You can do this from about 6 months When your baby is on solids, avoid giving sugary foods. It’s OK to do so now and again, but make sure you encourage your baby to drink water afterwards.
In the meantime- keep smiling your little dribble monster will one day have the perfect set of pearly whites, the teething stage doesn’t last forever, it just feels like it does!
The tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth - let’s talk teething!
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