Quiz: How to help your baby with teething

It can be painful for baby and heart wrenching for mom and dad – the teething phase of growing up. But it’s a normal developmental stage for your baby and having a better understanding of the process may help you and your infant.

Teething is the process of teeth growing and breaking through the gums. A baby’s first tooth often appears between ages 5 months to 7 months; however, some may get their first tooth a little earlier and others a little later.

When will teething stop? Take our quiz to learn more about teething, its symptoms and management.

1. The two middle bottom teeth are often the first to come through the gums.

A. True
B. False

2. Which of the following are signs of teething?

A. Drooling more than usual
B. Constantly putting fingers or fists in the mouth
C. Swollen or puffy area on gums
D. Fussiness or crankiness
E. All of the above

3. Teething causes a baby to have a cold and fever.

A. True
B. False

4. All of the following are options for helping your child with teething discomfort except:

A. Giving them hard, rubber toys to chew on
B. Rubbing your baby’s gums with your finger
C. Giving them teething toys that have been put in the freeze
D. Using medication

5. By the time your child is BLANK, all 20 baby teeth are often present.

A. 12 months old
B. 18 months old
C. 24 months old
D. 30 months old

1. A. True. These are most often followed by the middle four upper teeth.
2. E. All of the above. However, parents should note that drooling is not always a sign of teething and that babies like to chew on things whether or not they are teething.
3. B. Teething does not cause fever, colds, rashes or diarrhea, but it can still make a baby uncomfortable. If your baby becomes sick around the same time that teeth are coming in, the symptoms should be evaluated independently of teething.
4. C. Giving them teething toys that have been put in the freeze. Cold teething toys are OK, but frozen ones have shown to hurt the baby’s gums. Also, always talk to your baby’s doctor before trying any pain-relieving medicine.
5. D. 30 months. All baby teeth are usually present by the time a child is about 2 ½ years old.

Source: The Health Library