Heinz - Tinytums

Teething

At around 6 months old, your baby may start teething. You might notice they’ve started crying more than usual, are dribbling or not sleeping well. Another symptom can be strange behaviour when breast or bottle feeding; although your baby seems hungry, when you feed them, they keep stopping sucking and starting to cry. This is because the sucking action is making painful gums feel very tender. All babies start to teeth at different times, so there’s no need to worry if their first tooth appears at three months or eighteen months. If your baby is teething late, don’t delay weaning until the first tooth appears. Babies are quite happy chewing soft food with their gums.

Your baby will probably get their bottom two teeth first. Next come the upper incisors, followed by the next two upper incisors and then the lower incisors, making 4 on top and bottom. After they have come through, there is usually a delay before they start cutting their molars (flat teeth). After the two first molars come the canines, and finally the second molars appear.

As soon as your baby cuts their first tooth, you need to keep it clean to prevent the build up of plaque. Brush their teeth twice a day using a very soft toothbrush and a dot of toothpaste. Always buy toothpaste made especially for babies and follow the guidelines on the pack.