Hyderabad: Five to six months after their birth, babies start developing teeth, which is a very troublesome time for them. Apart from pain in the gums, they might also suffer from an upset stomach, fever and some other problems as well. These problems also make most of the children irritable and upset.
Experts have suggested some measures and precautions that can take care of problems that occur in children during teething. Dr. T S Rao, a paediatrician from Bengaluru, helps us understand the common problems children face during the teething process and how to reduce them, as well as how to maintain oral hygiene in children
Dr. Rao explains that the period of teething can be very troublesome for children. However, for some children, this period passes easily with very minor problems. He explains that before the process of teething begins, the gums of children start to itch, ache and sometimes swell as they are preparing for the process. On the other hand, teeth do not drop down instantly from the skin of the gums, rather it is a slow process which takes a few days. In such situations, the discomfort that occurs in the gums during teething also does not get cured immediately.
From the beginning of teething in children to the complete eruption of their teeth, the most painful time in the process is when the teeth break the skin of the gums. For kids experiencing teething for the time, the experience is far more troublesome. Usually, children's teething begins at about five to six months, and children at this age cannot express themselves as they are too young to speak. This makes them more irritable and they resort to crying, which makes the situation difficult for them as well as the parents.
Dr. Rao reminds us that these teeth in children are temporary and are called milk teeth. They fall off in a few years to be replaced by permanent teeth. Although there are 32 teeth in the mouth of a common adult, we only possess 20 milk teeth as children, and it takes about three years for all these teeth to come out completely. The process of teething also stresses the muscles attached to the jaws, which causes pain in the muscles attached to the ears. As a result, children start pulling their ears during teething.
Many babies also experience changes in body temperature during teething, but high fever in this condition can also be due to other factors. At the same time, cases of an upset stomach can also be noticed in babies during teething, but also it cannot be considered the sole cause of stomach problems. While teething, children try to bite everything and constantly put their fingers in their mouths to ease the itch they feel in their gums. This can be unhygienic and cause bacterial infections leading to diarrhoea in children.
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Dr. Rao explains that during the process of teething, along with children, their parents also get very upset, especially lactating mothers who have to endure a lot of troubles during this phase in children. Since babies try to chew on everything, many babies bite their mothers during breastfeeding, which causes wounds on their breasts. Some remedies and precautions can be very effective in reducing these and other problems occurring during the process of teething and in preventing diseases like infection, digestive problems and fever. Some of these are as follows:
- Take special care of hygiene in children and the cleanliness of their clothes, toys and the things kept around them and used by them.
- Children drool more during teething and due to itching in the gums, they repeatedly put their hands in their mouths. Special care should be taken to clean their hands. Along with this, their saliva should also be cleaned with the help of a clean handkerchief or cloth.
- Many people give teethers to children to reduce the itching of teeth. Teethers are toys which reduce the itching of the gums, especially at the time of teething of children. But it is also very important to keep some things in mind for their use. For example, since the child puts them in the mouth, they should always be clean and germ-free, they should not be too hard and they should be of good quality.
- Keep in mind that children should not put such things in their mouths which can harm their gums.
- Well-washed vegetables or fruits can also be given to children to chew. This will provide them with relief and nutrition. If the child hasn't learned to chew well, then giving them chopped vegetables and fruits is a better option, as they can get stuck in their throat. Also, the fruits should be de-seeded and given according to the weather.
- Massaging their gums lightly with a finger or a cold and wet soft cloth can also provide relief to the children. Massaging their gums before breastfeeding and sleeping also helps the mother in taking care of them.
Dr. Rao explains that efforts to maintain the oral hygiene of children should be started way before their teething process begins. Maintaining oral hygiene helps with the overall well-being of the children. Some of the habits to adopt for oral hygiene are as follows:
- Maintain cleanliness of children's mouths since birth. Use a clean, soft and wet cloth to do so, and clean their gums and tongue every day.
- Clean the roof of the child's mouth without forgetting, and you can use specially made soft brushes to clean their mouth.
- If teeth have started breaking out of a child's gums, they should be brushed daily twice, to put them through the habit of brushing twice daily.
- You can use fluoride toothpaste and a soft brush with children who have 4-5 teeth.
- After teething, children should be saved from the habit of drinking sweetened milk from the bottle before sleeping at night. By doing this, particles of milk can stay in their mouth especially in the teeth throughout the night, which can cause tooth decay.
Dr. Rao says that after six months, apart from milk, children should be given a liquid diet like pulse and rice water, fruit juice, thin Khichdi, porridge, coconut water, fruit juice and vegetable soup, in which other essential nutrients including iron, vitamins, calcium, protein and minerals are in required quantity. Along with this, they should also be given a little water at regular intervals, due to this, immunity will develop in the children's bodies and the possibility of them getting sick due to any reason will also reduce.
Apart from this, to save them from pain or discomfort, especially during teething, they should not be given any kind of pain reliever without medical advice, nor should any kind of ointment or gel should be applied on their gums. But not just during teething, but also in general, if the child is crying continuously and excessively or has a fever, diarrhoea or any other problem, then a doctor should be contacted immediately.
