What is teething?

Teething is a phase in early childhood during which the milk teeth emerge into the mouth cutting through the gums. Children experience discomfort during this phase and may have disturbed sleep, eating problems and may be restless and cranky.

Do children fall sick during teething?

Teething is often blamed for systemic conditions like diarrhea, vomiting and fever. The possible explanation for this is that during teething the child has a tendency to chew objects for relief, which at times may not be clean and may be a source of microbes.

How to cope with teething?

The discomfort associated with teething can be relieved to a certain extent by using teething gels, which are basically anti-inflammatory analgesics. These gels are massaged over the gums. Teethers of different types are available which the child can chew on for relief.

How do we clean infant's teeth?

Infant's teeth can be cleaned with a soft cloth wrapped around the index finger. Wet the cloth and rub gently over the teeth to clean them. Small soft brushes that can be inserted over your fingers are available that can be used to clean the teeth.

At what age do we start using the toothbrush?

You can introduce a baby- size tooth brush at around 12 months of age encouraging the child to use the brush himself. Though the child may play with it rather than brush his teeth,it will ensure good lifelong,habits in your child.This should be followed by the parent properly brushing the child's teeth for him.

What types of pastes are best for infants?

Initially for a toddler,a wetted toothbrush is sufficicient to brush the teeth. Once the child has learnt to rinse his mouth and spit, you can start using a pea-sized helping of fluoride toothpaste. Most dentists advise using fluoride tooth pastes around three years of age. If you think your child may swallow the toothpaste, you can use a non-fluoridated one till he learns to spit it out.

How many times should the child brush his teeth?

It is a good habit to brush the teeth both mornings soon after getting up and just before going to bed at night. Children should also be told to gargle every time after something is eaten.

Why do we use fluoridated toothpastes?

Fluorides used in toothpastes have the ability to get incorporated into the tooth structure and make the teeth more resistant to dental decay. The use of fluorides may even arrest progression of caries which are in the initial stages.