Your Baby

The appearance of your baby's first tooth is a major milestone in her development, and one that will likely see you sharing photographs with family, friends, and anyone else who may happen by! Unfortunately though, the arrival doesn't always go smoothly - it can be a testing time for both you and your baby, as there will inevitably be some discomfort involved, leading to yet more sleepless nights and grizzled behaviour.

There are usually some warning signs that a tooth is on its way, and these can include an increase in salivation or drooling, an intensified tendency for your baby to bite down on toys (or even people!), flushed cheeks and swollen gums, and a general malaise shown through loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and irritability.

Many parents will tell you that teething is often accompanied by other problems such as stomach upsets or colds, although most medical experts say that there is no real connection, and that young children are more or less constantly fighting off one bug or another, and so any signs of illness appearing together with teething are probably just coincidences.

Teething generally starts at around 6 months, although as with all things related to babies and kids your own experience may vary. Indeed, a very few babies will be born sporting a tooth or two, while some may not see their first tooth emerge until their first birthday or even later. Whenever it starts, your baby will normally have a complete set of teeth by their third birthday, and these milk teeth will last until around the age of six, when they will begin to be replaced by adult teeth.

Although some infants sail through the whole teething process with little difficulty, for others it can be a real ordeal. Unfortunately there's nothing we as parents can do to speed the growth, but there are ways to relieve the discomfort a little.