I am frustrated and hoping you can give me more practical advice than I have been getting. I have a nine month old. She keeps getting mild fevers and cries. We keep taking her to the doctor who keeps telling us that there is nothing wrong with her. The doctor said she’s just a fussy baby and we should relax. I was so frustrated and talked to a friend of mine who has four children. She said that my daughter is probably just teething. She suggested we slit her gums to help the teeth come through. Have you heard of this?
Mariana
Dear Mariana,
The good news is that there is generally an explanation for why a baby is fussy. It just takes some investigating. It’s harder when you’re a new mom because you’re having to learn so much at once. Yes, teething can cause a mild fever. It would not cause a high fever, so if that ever happens, do take your baby to be seen my a doctor.
There are other symptoms that go along with the fussiness if it is a matter of a teething. Here are some other things to look for.
- Fussiness
- Drooling
- Restless sleep
- Lack of appetite
In the meantime, you can give her some children’s tylenol and it may relieve some of the symptoms. Once her teeth finally pop in, make sure to start taking her to see a pediatric dentist. Even though her teeth will be healthy, you will not want to wait until she has a dental problem to first visit the dentist. It is much better for her to have positive experiences, that way if there ever is a problem she will not be frightened or fight against the treatment.
What To Do About A Teething Baby
The first thing to tell you is NOT to slit your baby’s gums. Their body’s are designed to do this naturally. As the root of the tooth grows, it pushes up to the gums. Teething is your baby feeling the pressure of those teeth moving up. As it grows, the teeth will eventually break through the gums. If you slit the gums, then you risk the root not getting formed enough to support the adult tooth once it is developed.
This is different than when they are older and their adult teeth are coming in. If a baby tooth is not coming loose and you see the permanent tooth pushing its way through, it is best to pull the baby tooth. Otherwise the permanent tooth gets deflected and you end up needing to pay for orthodontics when they are older.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.