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You may be excited at the appearance of the pearly sprouts of teeth of your little darling, but he or she may have a different experience altogether. Teething in babies is quite painful as the small teeth come out tearing the gum line. The discomfort may be severe with the eruption of the molars. Your baby may keep on crying inconsolably forcing you to adopt new parenting skills to manage this situation.
Teething in babies is not at all a cause of concern as it is the most common sort of discomfort experienced by the infants as a part of growing up. The intensity of discomfort varies and some babies may not experience teething problems at all.
You can certainly look for some effective home remedies for teething before calling your pediatrician or administering any medications. If teething in babies is accompanied by diarrhea, fever or nasal congestion, you need to seek pediatrician’s advice to check for other ailments.
Top Home Remedies For Teething
About 90% teething problems can be cured through home remedies. Be patient and avoid fussiness while dealing with this problem. Your irritability will add to your darling’s discomfort.
Massage the Gums Gently
This is the most common treatment applied by moms in order to treat teething in babies. Whenever you feel that your baby is crying due to teething pain, massage his or her painful gums gently with your fingers.
Gentle massaging soothes the painful gums of your baby. Doctors advise this treatment as the preliminary step to reduce teething pain in babies. Make sure that your fingers are clean before you insert them in your baby’s mouth.
Give them Teething Rings
If your finger massaging does not provide the desired comfort, hand over some attractive teething rings to your baby for chewing. These teething rings will act as toys diverting your baby’s attention from the pain and discomfort. Babies keep on chewing these rings which ultimately reduces the pain. They too prefer variation. Buy 2-3 sets of different types of teething rings.
Check the material of the teething rings while buying. According to mayoclinic.com, rubber teething rings are better options but avoid giving them the liquid filled ones. Sometimes the rubber breaks and prolonged contact of the sugary liquid with the tender teeth may contribute to tooth decay. Disinfect these rings in boiling water after it has been used by your baby. Never give unwashed teething rings to your baby.
Rub Chamomile Tea Bags
Brew one Chamomile tea bag in water and let it cool down. Dip a part of a clean washcloth in this liquid and keep it in the freezer for some time. Take out the cold washcloth and rub it gently on the painful gums of your baby.
You can allow your baby to chew the cold chamomile dipped washcloth. Pediatricians from University of Michigan hail this as one of the effective home remedies for teething in babies.
Give Cold Food Items
Take out a cold banana, mango, carrot or cucumber from the freezer and place it in a mesh feeder and give your baby to chew. Chewing cold food items numb the painful gums relieving your baby from teething discomfort. Select fruits and vegetables appropriate for your baby’s age. You can tie up the food items in a clean muslin, cheese cloth or handkerchief.
You can give fruit popsicles to your baby provided he or she is old enough to tolerate these food items. Keep your baby under a careful watch if you give raw carrots and cucumbers directly for chewing. Pieces of carrot and cucumber may cause choking in your baby. Wash the food items thoroughly before giving them to your baby.
Massage with Ice
Massaging the painful gums of your baby with ice is another effective home remedy for teething. Wrap an ice cube in a cloth and massage gently on the painful gums. Application of cold pack will slowly reduce the teething pain calming your fidgety baby.
You can also wrap crushed ice in a similar manner and give it to your baby for chewing, but he or she may discard this treatment due to the cold feeling. In that case, you will have to try this treatment with patience. Avoid prolonged contact with ice else your baby may catch cold.
Give a Spoon to Chew
You can follow this smart tip from the American Dental Association while dealing with teething problem of your baby. Keep a spoon in the refrigerator for some time and give it to your baby for chewing. The coldness of the spoon will numb the painful gums of your baby, and he or she will stop crying. Make sure to give a thick and blunt edged metallic spoon to prevent cuts and wounds in the mouth.
Apply Clove Oil
Clove oil is also useful in treating teething problems in babies, but one has to administer it cautiously. Add 1-2 drops of this oil in olive oil and rub gently on the gums of your baby. Too much application of clove oil may cause irritation in the gums.
Take care that your baby does not ingest much of clove oil. A professional consultation is recommended prior to application of this oil.
Rub Olive Oil
The bottle of extra light virgin olive oil from your kitchen shelf can be quite handy in treating teething problem of your baby. Massaging a little amount of olive oil on the gums of your baby has a soothing effect alleviating the pain gradually. Olive oil can be used safely as it does not produce any side effects.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.