Teething and Fever—What’s the Connection?

While babies usually cut their first teeth at between four and seven months of ages, some children do not get their first teeth until their first birthday or later. Crankiness, drooling and fever have long been considered traditional signs that a child is teething. But is fever connected to teething?

Recently, researchers observed a group of infants aged five to fifteen months, recording the babies’ body temperature and symptoms during the period when children typically get their baby teeth. They tracked such classic signs of teething as fever, sleep disturbance, rash, irritability, drooling, diarrhea, runny nose and loss of appetite during four time periods: the day a tooth erupted, the day before a tooth erupted, the day after a tooth erupted and all other days.

Surprisingly, on the day a tooth erupted, the children’s temperatures rose by only a few tenths of a degree. Other symptoms, including irritability, drooling, diarrhea and runny nose, appeared the day the tooth erupted but not before, meaning that it was impossible to predict when a new tooth would emerge just by reading the so-called signs.

“I've seen a lot of parents that will come in with children with fevers of 101 degrees or higher, and first thing they say is, ‘It might just be teething,’” noted Dr. Roya Samuels, a pediatrician at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. “Teething has never been proven to be related to high-grade temperatures.”

Some babies feel the pain of teething intensely while others seem to shrug it off. To alleviate crankiness, you can give your baby a chilled (not frozen) rubber teething ring or let her chew on a clean, wet washcloth that has been cooled in the freezer for thirty minutes. If your child is having great difficulty sleeping, your pediatrician may recommend giving her acetaminophen.

An infant’s fever should not be shrugged off as “just teething.” Any fever over 100.4 degrees should be checked out by the baby’s pediatrician. It may be related to another condition and should be treated accordingly.

Soothing Your Baby’s Teething Blues

Think back to the last time you had a toothache. The soreness, the pain…it probably wasn’t the best day of your life. Now imagine experiencing discomfort like that for months on end. For some babies, this is how teething feels.

Your baby’s teeth begin to emerge when he or she is around 6 months old, and the whole set of 20 primary teeth usually will be in by the age of 3 years. Some babies aren’t bothered by the process, but for others, teething can be miserable—especially when the molars erupt from the gums. Symptoms such as fussiness, drooling, rash, refusing to eat, and gnawing on anything and everything in sight typically begin three to five days before the tooth erupts.

Luckily, there are ways to relieve your child’s discomfort (and yours, because having a fussy, miserable baby isn’t fun for anyone). Try the following to make teething easier for everyone:

• Using a clean finger, gently massage your baby’s gums for a few minutes. Apply pressure to the top of the gum line—this counters the pressure of the teeth coming in from below and helps soften the gum tissues.
• Offer solid silicone teething rings or other appropriate toys for your baby to chew on. You can put these in the refrigerator for a quick chill beforehand—the cold will soothe your baby’s gums. Avoid freezing the teething toy because icy teething rings can stick to the roof of the baby’s mouth and cause even more pain when you pry it off.
• If your baby is over 6 months old and eating solid food, try giving him or her rice rusks. A teething baby may also enjoy cold foods such as yogurt or cold pureed fruit.
• If your baby experiences major discomfort, an over-the-counter pain reliever may be helpful. Check with your pediatrician before you give your child any medication.

Although it may feel like your baby’s teething will last for all eternity, this stage will pass before you know it. In the meantime, bring your child to KiDDS Dental for regular check-ups when we can monitor his or her dental development.

Teeth Touching? Start Flossing

Flossing is an important tool for children as it is with adults for preventing cavity formation between teeth, removing plaque between teeth and below the gumline before it hardens into tartar. Your child’s need to floss can start as early as age 2½.

Primary teeth often have space between them, reflecting the slow development of your child’s mouth. Eventually, as that spacing decreases, you will notice two or more of your child’s teeth touching―or at least close enough that simply brushing teeth is not enough. That’s when you need to start flossing your child’s teeth. Remember the goal is complete dental hygiene; it is vital to get all sides of the tooth―including those you can’t reach with a brush.

Your child does not and will not have the fine motor skills necessary for flossing for quite some time (usually not until age 10 or 11), so the job is up to you. Make flossing a pleasant experience and emphasize that it is part of a healthy dental routine. Use the simplest motions possible to dislodge whatever food might be stuck between the teeth.

Sometimes it is easiest to have your child lie flat with his or her head on a pillow or in your lap and say, “Open wide!” Take a piece of floss and wrap it between your middle fingers until you have about two inches of floss to work with. Place the floss around the base of the tooth near the gum in a “C” shape. Move from bottom to top two to three times, using a fresh part of the floss as you go from tooth to tooth.

As a parent, you need to set the groundwork for a healthy dental routine. Remember, including flossing in this routine is vital to your child’s oral health―you don’t want to risk any long-term dental issues. Call KiDDS Dental with any questions you may have about flossing, or bring them up at your child’s next appointment with Dr. Jared.

Teach Your Child Effective Toothbrushing Technique

According to research, over 40% of children have cavities by the time they enter kindergarten. Poorly-cared-for baby teeth may cause infection, pain, and problems eating and speaking. They can also affect the permanent teeth when they erupt. You can help your child avoid these dental problems by teaching good tooth-brushing habits and technique.

By ages 2 to 3, children should be introduced to the MOI brushing technique: Clean the 

masticatory (chewing) surfaces with simple horizontal (scrubbing) movements; the outer surfaces with more difficult circular movements; and the inside surfaces with small up-and-down movements.

Let your child watch you brush your teeth. Then help him to try it. At first, you can hold the child on your lap and brush his or her teeth with the MOI technique, explaining what you are doing each step of the way.

Use a soft-bristled, child’s toothbrush with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Show your child how to hold the toothbrush at a 45º angle to the gum line and brush gently.

When your child is ready to brush without your assistance, he or she may not have the manual dexterity to clean all teeth thoroughly, so up to around age 6, give your child’s teeth a final brush after he or she has finished.

Show your child how to rinse and spit, reminding him or her not to swallow toothpaste. Ingesting too much fluoride can result in spots on even the permanent teeth.

Teach your child to brush at least twice daily. Each brushing should last at least two minutes and cover every region of the mouth. Children tend to focus on the more visible front teeth only, so be sure to remind him or her to brush in back.

A best practice is to brush along with your child until he or she is about 8 years old and shows proficiency. You can use a timer or a two-minute song and make a game of exploring every part of your mouth.

Establishing regular brushing habits at an early age can help your child maintain good oral health for years to come. For tips about how to accomplish this important oral health care task, talk to Dr. Jared and his clinical team when you bring your child in for an office visit at KiDDS Dental.