Oh, teething, how we dread it. The cranky achiness that accompanies this phase of development is possibly more painful for you, the caregiver, than it is for your little one. But never fear! In the grand scheme of things, the idea of teething lasts longer and feels worse than the real thing.

A few things to keep in mind:

Teething can occur over the course of a year or more

Baby teeth start to appear at around 6 months, though some kids start much earlier or much later. Your baby might not show any symptoms (except retrospectively) with his smaller teeth. Those big, blunt molars (1st year molars show up at 10-15 months, 2nd year molars at 20-24 months) tend to be the most painful, and they take a long time to erupt. Toddlers usually have their full set of 20 baby teeth by the time they’re three, at which point you’ll have to find something new to blame for the fussiness.

Baby needs dental care

Give baby plenty of foods with high levels of calcium and vitamin D. These will help ensure a mouthful of strong teeth, eventually. And make sure you brush those teeth, however few, twice a day to keep them healthy! Use a very soft, rounded baby toothbrush, and water or fluoride-free “training toothpaste.” Take your baby to a dentist before age 2 to make sure everything’s doing what it should.

Baby will drool a lot more

Babies do tend to drool more when they teethe. Give your little one a teething bib or change her shirt when it’s soaked, and make sure you wipe her cheeks and chin often, or she could get chafed skin.

You can still nurse

Just because your baby has teeth doesn’t mean you need to stop nursing!

Teething is not an illness

Despite what the Old Wives would have you believe, teething does not make your child sick! He might very well be irritable and sleep fitfully, but earaches, fever, and diarrhea are common signs of viral infection, not teething. If your child is showing these symptoms, don’t be embarrassed to call your doctor, you’ll be glad you followed your instincts.

Meanwhile, try some of these approaches to combat your baby’s

teething woes:

• Go simple
  

  Just gnawing on your plump finger will give your little chomper that “good hurt” feeling we all know and love! Make sure that your hands are clean, and maybe consider using one of those finger-condom textured gum brushes (make sure it’s clean, too).

• Go nutritious
  

  There are several edibles that can offer your child the magic relief of cold or pressure (or both). Some good choices: frozen bagels, frozen bananas, giant (really GIANT) chunks of cold carrot or apple. Kids love the vinegary tingle of whole crisp pickles, too. Zwieback crackers and breadsticks are also great for gnawing.

  Remember: once your child’s first four teeth come in, he can bite small, chokable pieces off of anything. A great solution to this is to buy a few baby safe feeders – which allow you to put food into a little mesh bag so baby can only eat digestible amounts – and stuff them with frozen grapes. Your kiddo can gnaw to his heart’s content and you won’t have to worry about him choking. If you can’t get the feeders, you could also use a reusable cloth teabag, or even (bizarre – yes – but useful!) a clean thin sock, tied off at the end.

• Go chompy
  

  Basically, your little guy wants to chew on something – it helps get those new teeth through the gums – so let him chew on a toothbrush! He’ll get used to having the brush in his mouth and he’ll have a little gum massage, too. Chewing on his pacifier, a splinter-free wooden mixing spoon or a gum massager (looks like a rubber toothbrush) will work, too.

  Be forewarned, for some babies, sucking (a bottle or pacifier) might actually exacerbate the pain. If yours spits out the nipple or rejects the bottle with tears and wails (you’ll know!), don’t sweat it, it’s usually a short-lived strike. Once a baby’s teething pain is neutralized, he’s ready to take that bottle/breast back. You can also try offering formula or breast milk in very small sips from a thin-lipped cup or a soft-tipped sippy cup, which lets the liquid out with less effort than a bottle or a nipple.

• Go cold (and calming)
  

  The no-fail standby: a clean, frozen washcloth. Some suggest soaking the cloth in chamomile tea. Tie one end in a knot before freezing for even more chewing satisfaction. Keep a stash of these in a plastic baggie in the freezer so they’re ready when you need them.

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