TEETHING IN CHILDREN

[Drsumitra]

Every baby has 20 baby teeth commonly known as milk teeth below the gum area. The moment they are ready to start teething the gums become hard and sensitive to touch. They chew at every possible thing around them. It is easy to feel the gums and know what stage they are at, as the gums will feel like little hillocks with the undulations of the baby teeth. Around the sixth month the children start teething and slowly the dentures start surfacing. Typically the front two and the bottom two are the first to evolve. Since the teeth cut through the gums it can be very painfully for the little one followed by maybe slight fever and sometimes diarrhea.
What You, as a Parent, Can Do
In addition to taking the baby to a pediatric dentist, it also helps to take small measures that will help your baby to get over the preliminary discomfort. One can use some baby soothing gel on the gums for comfort. Soft chewable teething toys can be kept in the refrigerator and given to them for soothing the sensitive gums. Handle your baby with patience and tenderness to help him or her overcome the discomfort and uneasiness of teething.. The first thing you can do is obvious; brush your teeth. Many people who brush their teeth at least twice a day do it once before bedtime. It is important to know that if you had a late dinner or a snack you should wait a little bit if it was acidic. Things like juice are highly acidic and brushing immediately after consuming them can actually be bad for your enamel. Wait a little while, rinse your mouth with cold water, and then brush your teeth.
2. Flossing is also a must. Our toothbrushes can’t reach all the way in between our teeth and so flossing is critical to get into those tight areas. Flossing is also critical for gum health and poor gums are one of the leading causes to tooth decay.
3. A dentist approved mouth wash is also good. Mouth wash will help kill some of that unwanted bacteria in your mouth which through their life cycle damage teeth, causing cavities and oral diseases.
4. After your nightly regimen don’t eat or drinking anything other than water. Leaving food particles in your mouth while you sleep will lead to cavities, especially because they don’t readily leave your mouth because you are sleeping.

 

        

[Drsumitra]

Teething in children usually begins by six months of age and by the age of around three years; complete set of primary teeth develops. This time period may bring a lot of uneasiness for a child.

Signs of Teething
Generally, the child suffers from pain and discomfort accompanied with little inflammation of the gums. Other accompanying symptoms may include anxiety, irritability and twitching of gums. Some babies also suffer from mildly elevated temperature and some changes in the drolling habits.
Primary signs include swollen gums, instinct to chew and gnaw with increased irritability.
Causes
Usually a weaker child suffers from more problems than a healthy child. Children with weaker gastro-intestinal system, vitamin and calcium deficiency and lack of mother’s feed have increased tendency to suffer from such teething ailments.
Babies with a weaker gastro-intestinal system tend to suffer from diarrhoea, increased desire to eat indigestible things (mud, clay, chalk etc). However, they should be prevented from doing such things and should be kept under vigilance by the parents.
Babies with a weaker nervous system may tend to suffer from anxiety, irritability, loud cries and even convulsions. Parents must handle such children calmly and try to devote as much time as possible with the child.
Treatment
A tooth pierces the gum before coming out, so it may be a difficult condition for a child with a harder gum. Therefore, it is very important to relax the gums during the period of teething.
Parents may use some of the natural ways to make teething easy like softening the gums by massaging the painful part with honey or olive oil. Also, soft and easily digestible food such as porridge should be given to the baby and mother’s feed should be encouraged.
Children also find relief in their symptoms by pressing their gums against some hard and cool objects (rubber balls, plastic blocks etc). Certain hard objects like carrot, sugarcane or clean rubber ball may be given to the child for chewing, as during this time there is increased urge to chew and gnaw.
In case of acute pain or any violent condition of the child, pediatrician’s guidance must be seeked immediately.

 

        

[Drsumitra]

Teething in children usually begins by six months of age and by the age of around three years; complete set of primary teeth develops. This time period may bring a lot of uneasiness for a child.

Signs of Teething
Generally, the child suffers from pain and discomfort accompanied with little inflammation of the gums. Other accompanying symptoms may include anxiety, irritability and twitching of gums. Some babies also suffer from mildly elevated temperature and some changes in the drolling habits.
Primary signs include swollen gums, instinct to chew and gnaw with increased irritability.
Causes
Usually a weaker child suffers from more problems than a healthy child. Children with weaker gastro-intestinal system, vitamin and calcium deficiency and lack of mother’s feed have increased tendency to suffer from such teething ailments.
Babies with a weaker gastro-intestinal system tend to suffer from diarrhoea, increased desire to eat indigestible things (mud, clay, chalk etc). However, they should be prevented from doing such things and should be kept under vigilance by the parents.
Babies with a weaker nervous system may tend to suffer from anxiety, irritability, loud cries and even convulsions. Parents must handle such children calmly and try to devote as much time as possible with the child.
Treatment
A tooth pierces the gum before coming out, so it may be a difficult condition for a child with a harder gum. Therefore, it is very important to relax the gums during the period of teething.
Parents may use some of the natural ways to make teething easy like softening the gums by massaging the painful part with honey or olive oil. Also, soft and easily digestible food such as porridge should be given to the baby and mother’s feed should be encouraged.
Children also find relief in their symptoms by pressing their gums against some hard and cool objects (rubber balls, plastic blocks etc). Certain hard objects like carrot, sugarcane or clean rubber ball may be given to the child for chewing, as during this time there is increased urge to chew and gnaw.
In case of acute pain or any violent condition of the child, pediatrician’s guidance must be seeked immediately.

 

        

[drmithila]

A case report and literature review by Ahmad et al investigated a possible dose-related case of gingival hyperplasia in a child receiving the drug amlodipine. A 9-year-old girl was presented to the hospital with a history of membranous ne­phro­pathy and hypertension, and was unable to gain weight. She was allergic to the drug enalapril and had gingival hyperplasia. Her medication profile revealed that amlodipine and azathioprine were possible agents for the gingival hyperplasia, and the child’s mother had observed the hyperplasia following an increase in the dosage of amlodipine. After being discharged from the hospital, the patient could no longer eat by mouth and her gums bled upon brushing. The authors reviewed the literature regarding the use of amlodipine in children, and a subsequent review found one animal study that showed a relationship between amlodi­pine dose/plasma concentration and gingival hyperplasia. This relationship was reported in humans with other calcium channel blockers, but not with amlodi­pine and not in a child. The Naranjo probability scale revealed a possible adverse reaction of gingival hyperplasia associated with amlodipine. The authors state that, to their knowledge this is the first report of a possible dose-related occurrence of gingival hyperplasia in a child receiving amlodipine.

 

        

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