Swollen gums and an erupting tooth: what should we know about teething?
Swollen gums in babies are a common phenomenon observed in children during the teething process. Many new parents look for photos of erupting teeth on the Internet, wondering what a baby's swollen gums look like. How do you know when teething has started?
In this article, we will look at the most common symptoms of teething, which include: swollen gums in a baby. How do they look? We will also advise, among others: Is it safe to use preparations on a child? for teething?
Erupting tooth and swollen gums in an infant: Teething is a physiological process that every baby must go through
In photos published by parents on the Internet, you can often see that swollen gums and an erupting tooth cause the toddler to a number of troublesome ailments. The child may be tearful and may have a rash on the face (so-called rash). He often puts everything in his mouth and these items are not always safe for the baby. You should be especially sensitive to this.
The teething process is a natural stage of development that usually begins between the 4th and 8th month of a child's life. Statistically, 26,6% of babies start teething in the 6th month.
Expert advises
The first tooth is most often the central incisor tooth of the mandible (the so-called lower tooth one), and subsequent teeth erupt gradually over the course of 17,5-25 months. Therefore, swollen gums may persist in an infant for many months (with varying degrees of symptom severity). Teething usually ends between the 31st and 36th month of a child's life, with the appearance of the second molars.
How do they look teething symptoms? If swollen gums in a baby Could this be the only symptom heralding the appearance of another tooth?
Each child goes through the teething process slightly differently. Some babies only present mild, local symptoms of teething, including: red and swollen gums, while in other infants an erupting tooth causes a number of local and sometimes systemic ailments.
Local symptoms of teething
Do local symptoms teething can include, among others:
- increased salivation;
- biting your own fingers, toys and other objects;
- local inflammation, redness/bluishness of the gums.
Photos of swollen gums in infants sometimes also show a small hematoma. It may be caused by extravasation of blood from a vessel damaged by the sharp edge of an erupting tooth. Local swelling and inflammation of the gums often cause pain and discomfort in the baby.
Photos of babies who are teething often also show: rash on the toddler's face. It most often occurs locally around the mouth, on the chin and cheeks. This is the previously mentioned rash that may appear as a result of excessive salivation and mechanical irritation of the skin.
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Head of the Department of Assessment and Development of Cooperation at the Institute of Mother and Child
Systemic symptoms of teething
In addition to the local reaction of the gums and increased salivation, u 25–30% of children Transient systemic symptoms may occur, including:
- sleep disorders: difficulty falling asleep and waking up frequently;
- irritability, tearfulness;
- reluctance to eat;
- loose stools (different than usual);
- symptoms resembling an infection: runny nose, increased body temperature (below 38°C).
Doctors and dentists emphasize that local symptoms of teething (e.g. what swollen gums look like in a baby) that they accompany disturbing systemic symptoms (including loss of appetite, low-grade fever, irritability) may indicate an infection.
If in doubt, it is worth taking your child to a pediatrician. The specialist will check whether, apart from the erupting tooth, the infant does not have any general disease (e.g. infection of the upper/lower respiratory tract, urinary tract infection) or local infection (e.g. cyst of the erupting tooth that has abscessed).
Photos of swollen gums, what an erupting tooth looks like: information that parents are most often looking for
What does an erupting tooth look like in photos of swollen gums? An erupting baby tooth can most often be seen on the gum as a white-transparent dot or line. Swollen gums in an infant are visible when the tooth is felt through the mucous membrane, and the average tooth eruption time, from the time it is felt through the gum tissue to the complete eruption of the crown, is about 2 months.
Parents often wonder what a baby's swollen gums look like. As we have already mentioned, they are clearly swollen and red (bloodshot). Often, there may also be local inflammation, bruising or a small hematoma in the place where the tooth erupts.
Expert advises
The appearance of swollen gums in infants also depends on the stage of tooth eruption: increased inflammation, pain and itching of the gums most often occur approximately 8-4 days before, on the day the tooth appears in the mouth and approximately 3 days after .
What to use, when fluffy and painful gums cause in an infant big discomfort?
Except photos of swollen gums and erupting teeth, parents very often look for information on the Internet about effective, but above all, safe teething preparations. Gum massages and chilled teethers do not always bring the baby the expected relief.
Pharmacological methods of relieving the discomfort associated with teething include: general and local preparations:
Systemic preparations
It is most recommended for severe teething symptoms ibuprofen, which, in addition to its analgesic and antipyretic effect, has anti-inflammatory properties. In this case soothes inflammation in the area of a baby's swollen gums.
Ibuprofen preparations, like all medicines, may cause side effects, so they should only be used temporarily when teething.
Topical preparations
They are completely safe for babies adhesive gels, containing, among others: hyaluronic acid, xylitol, marshmallow, licorice root extract, damask rose, aloe and chamomile. Due to possible side effects, a baby's painful and swollen gums should be treated avoid use agents containing, among others: lignocaine, sucrose, belladonna, alcohol or choline salicylate.
Local and systemic preparations for teething should be used in accordance with the leaflet included in the product packaging. If teething symptoms are very severe and/or parents do not know what preparation can be safely given to the baby, it is worth consulting a pediatrician or dentist.
Remember that any disturbing symptoms in your child should be consulted with a doctor so as not to miss any systemic infection, the symptoms of which may sometimes resemble teething symptoms.
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