How to Help With Signs Of Late Teething

For some children, new teeth appear without much of a problem at all. You may notice a few signs of late teething – the drooling, the chewing, maybe a low fever, but nothing that really interrupts your day. For others, teething is a huge deal, with weeks of irritability and crying just to see one small tooth erupt. For these children, when you see signs of late teething you need to know what you can do to help.

The largest problem with teething for children getting their first teeth is usually the pain of those sharp incisors cutting through the gums. If your child is more sensitive to that sort of pain or pressure on the gums, he will likely be irritable because of the pain. With this sign of late teething, you will know the child hurts – and you will probably want to ease his pain.

Many parents automatically turn to the drugstore for pain relief. Acetaminophen can be used to help relieve the pain of teething. Fever is also common in a teething child, though it should be just a persistent low grade fever. If the fever is high, there is likely something else going on and you might want to take your child to the doctor. There's also a chance the toddler has an ear infection, as those are also more common at this age, though less common in a child who is breastfed.

For other parents, they prefer to not give their child drugs for pain relief. There are homeopathic teething tablets that many people say are very effective at relieving the pain associated with teething. For some parents, at the first sign of teething, late or early, they get a box of homeopathic teething tablets. They can be found at the drugstore.

Be sure your baby is getting enough sleep. Teething children tend to wake up more at night, as there are less distractions and the pain seems more acute. Your child may need to get more naps.

Often, chewing on something helps with the pain of teething. Whether it is a store-bought chew toy or frozen wet washcloth, having something cold to chomp down on can help. Also, eating things that are cold – like applesauce, or frozen peas – can also relieve the pain.

Some children enjoy having their gums rubbed or to be allowed to gnaw on a parent's finger. When you see signs of late teething, you can try rubbing the child's gums to see if they like it. One place to not allow them to gnaw is on mother's nipple – a breastfeeding toddler or child cannot bite Mom while nursing, because of the tongue placement, so if he bites, the feeding can be over, and the child encouraged to bite a more suitable item. Please don't holler or scream out, though, as that can frighten the child into a nursing strike, where they give up that which gives them the most comfort. At this time, the child needs more comfort and love, not less.