Teething is the phase during infancy and early childhood when children get their first set of teeth known as primary teeth or milk teeth. Teething normally begins between 6th and the 8th month, but the age at which an infant begins to get teeth may vary.

Sometimes infants are born with erupted teeth, but these are often abnormal and fall out.

It is the sequential appearance of milk as well as permanent teeth. New teeth erupt continually from age 6 months to 3 years. Between ages 6 and 12, children lose milk teeth, which are replaced with permanent teeth.

Tooth eruption occurs periodically until all 20 primary teeth are in place. This normally ends by the 30th month of life. These teeth include 4 incisors, 2 canines, and 4 molars in each jaw for the total of 20.

A few things that need to kept in mind once your baby starts teething are:

What should be done?

• Some teeth come through without any problem, while in other cases, the gum may be red and sore. A child may be irritable, uncomfortable and may show one or more of the symptoms mentioned above. This discomfort may be eased by a cool object such as a frozen teething ring, an ice-cold wash-cloth, or a cold apple. It can also be helpful to give the child something hard to chew like a teething ring or an unsweetened teething biscuit.
• Rub the child’s gums with your finger; this is very comforting and Freeze a coarse washcloth and allow the child to chew it few could be a couple of general measures which could ease teething.
• You could offer your child a teething biscuit or teeth ring (you may chill it).
• Avoid using any for of imported, fluid-filled teething rings–even if they are less expensive. The liquid inside may be contaminated.
• Clean new teeth with a cotton swab and water if you notice any collection of tartar. Otherwise, wait until the child is 2 or 3 years old before brushing teeth regularly. By this age, children want to imitate parents by brushing teeth.
• Initially for a toddler, a wetted toothbrush is sufficient to brush the teeth. once the child learn to rinse and spit, you could use Fluorides toothpastes as they get incorporated into the tooth structure and make the teeth more resistant to dental decay

What to avoid?
The gums should not be rubbed or cut to facilitate the eruption of teeth because this can result in infections. Teething powders and aspirin should also be avoided. Oral teething pain relievers that are rubbed on the infant’s gums are not of much help, since the excess saliva in the mouth quickly washes the medicine away.