Our friends at Bickiepegs have over 95 years experience helping babies teeth naturally, so we asked them for some top tips to help you navigate teething. It can be a difficult time for parent and baby alike and finding a remedy to appease your child’s pain, quickly becomes a priority. As with many things the successful solution is personal to you and your baby and may include one or a combination of remedies.
Here are some toothy facts to note as your baby starts to grow:
BIRTH – Teeth start forming from 2 months of pregnancy so at birth all “milk” teeth are formed in the gums. In rare instances some babies are born with one or more teeth!
3 MONTHS – Teething may start as early as 3 months of age. Symptoms vary and include flushed cheeks, excessive saliva (dribbling), chewing on a finger (or anything else they can get their hands on!) and irritability.
6 -7 MONTHS – First teeth appear, usually the top and bottom incisors.
12 MONTHS – First molars emerge. On average infants may have about 6 teeth.
18 MONTHS – Canines (cuspid) teeth start to appear.
2 – 3 YEARS – Second molars appear. Children tend to have the first set of 20 milk teeth.
Bickiepegs have created a free Teething Chart to help you keep track of these ‘toothy pegs’ as they appear - you can download it here!
Symptoms of Teething
Many babies experience discomfort when teeth begin ‘cutting’ and this can be upsetting for both baby and parents. Babies may show various symptoms of the teething process, these can include:
· Flushed cheeks, especially on the affected side
· Dribbling
· Chewing on anything they can!
· Sore red gums
· Being irritable
· Please note if your baby shows signs of bleeding gums, diarrhoea or you are worried about their symptoms, always talk to a health professional
How to soothe teething symptoms
· Massage the affected gum with a finger toothbrush and gum massager
· Try offering cold slices of fruit such as apple
· Pop a sensory teether like Peggie the Penguin in the fridge before giving to your baby to cool their sore gums
· Offer something hard to chew on such as a Bickiepeg Natural Teething Biscuit
· Rub a mild anaesthetic on the affected area
· Avoid giving your child sugary foods or drinks to calm them as these could encourage tooth decay or a ‘sweet’ tooth
Caring for first teeth
1. From first teeth appearing it is important to start brushing them with a special finger tooth brush and toothpaste.
2. As soon as possible introduce an open cup such as the Doidy Cup to promote drinking from an open cup rather than a spout when liquid tends to ‘pool’ in the mouth around the teeth.
3 In an article on toddler diets and oral health, the British Dental Health Foundation website says that drinks should be offered six to eight times a day, and, from as early an age as possible, should be sipped from a cup or glass, not sucked from a bottle. The same Foundation suggests starting by the time babies are about 6 months old, or when they are able to sit up and can hold things on their own.
4. Always stick to water or milk as a drink as acid in fruit juice can attack babies teeth.
5. Completely stop the use of bottles and spouted cups by the age of 12 months to avoid premature tooth decay.
6. Start visiting the Dentist to get regular advice and help your child become used to having their teeth checked. It is advised to go to the dentist with your little one before their first birthday. Bickiepegs have worked with The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry and created a My First Visit To The Dentist certificate which you can download and keep up to date.
Teething Aids
Being food based, Bickiepegs Natural Teething Biscuits complement baby led weaning and are in our opinion better than plastic or other non-food based teethers because they are designed to access all teeth at the front and back of the jaw. You may also like to try the Bickiepegs Finger Toothbrush and Gum Massager for soothing painful gums and introducing brushing for first teeth. A new edition to our range is Peggie the Penguin our clip on sensory teether, great for taking with you for teething on the go!
Thank you so much Bickiepegs - we hope this has helped you and your little one have a much easier teething experience! Love from The Mini First Aid Team x
Competition Time!
The lovely folk at Bickiepegs have very kindly given us 3 of their adorable Peggie the Penguin Sensory Teethers as prizes! These teethers are not only very cute, but they naturally support the development of gums, teeth, jaws and tongue control. And with a handy clip, Peggie the Penguin is perfect for using at home or on the go! To enter, visit our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages. Good luck!
Full terms and conditions can be found here.
