Teething is the eruption of primary (baby) teeth into the oral cavity. Teething is different for all babies. It can occur at any time during the first year of life, starting around 6 months of age. The emergence of a tooth is sometimes painless, without any discomfort. But some babies experience symptoms like redness and sores of the gums and cheeks, mild fever, rashes on the face, drooling, chewing non-living things, rubbing ears, and disturbed sleep.
Five Stages of Teething
The five stages of teething include:
- Stage 1 (0-6 months): In this stage, a total of 20 primary teeth are present beneath the gums. Primary teeth are also referred to as milk teeth.
- Stage 2 (6-8 months): In this stage, the lower and upper front teeth called the incisors erupt.
- Stage 3 (10-14 months): In this stage, the teeth called molars erupt on the back of the mouth in both jaws.
- Stage 4 (16-22 months): In this stage, canine teeth that are present between the incisors and molars erupt.
- Stage 5 (25-33 months): In this stage, the large molars erupt
Helpful hints
For successful eruption of a baby’s teeth into the mouth, the following tips can be helpful:
- Rubbing the baby’s gums with clean fingers
- Wiping the baby’s face frequently
- Giving teething aids for babies to chew
- Using rubber teething rings
- Giving teething biscuits or frozen cold food to kids, which is taken as a solid diet
