(Savannah dentists) Helpful Teething Hints from Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry
Below is a guest post from Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry in Savannah
Your baby was born with all 20 primary teeth below their gumline. They typically start to come through between 6 and 12 months. Children usually have their full set of baby teeth in place by age 3.
Teething Symptoms
What’s normal?
Fussiness
Trouble sleeping
Irritability
Loss of appetite
Drooling more than usual
What’s not normal?
High fever
Diarrhea
Rash
If your baby has any of these symptoms while teething and continues to be cranky and uncomfortable, call your pediatric dentist or pediatrician.
Are Numbing Gels or Teething Tablets Safe For My Baby?
The FDA recommends that parents and caregivers not use benzocaine products for children younger than 2. They are also warning that benzocaine oral drug products should only be used in adults and children 2 years and older if they contain certain warnings on the drug label. These products carry serious risks and provide little to no benefits for treating oral pain, including sore gums in infants due to teething.
Benzocaine is an over-the-counter anesthetic, which the FDA notes are usually under the product names Anbesol, Hurricaine, Orajel, Baby Orajel and Orabase. Benzocaine has been associated with a rare but serious—and sometimes fatal—condition called methemoglobinemia, a disorder in which the amount of oxygen carried through the blood stream is greatly reduced.
The FDA also urges parents not to use – and dispose of homeopathic teething tablets – after lab testing found “inconsistent amounts of belladonna, a toxic substance, in certain homeopathic teething tablets, sometimes far exceeding the amount claimed on the label.”
“The body’s response to belladonna in children under two years of age is unpredictable and puts them at unnecessary risk,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry that the dental home for a child should be established no later than 12 months of age to help children and their families institute a lifetime of good oral health.
Should you have any questions regarding your child and teething, please contact Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry in Savannah and they will be happy to help you: 912-298-KIDS.
Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry
4849 Paulsen St., Suite 101
Savannah, GA 31405
912-298-KIDS (5437)
Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry, www.dogwoodsmiles.com, 4849 Paulsen St., Suite 101, Savannah 31405, 912-298-KIDS (5437), email admin@dogwoodsmiles.com. Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser