Very EARLY Signs of Teething?

It is never too early to teeth. Teeth are already formed beneath the gums. My earliest experience with a teething child was 5 months.

C. T.

It does sound like teething is a very definite possibility. My son had his first tooth when he was only a month old. I noticed the tell-tale signs of teething, but also somewhat ignored them thinking to myself there is no way.....he is only 1 month old. Finally my mom pointed out the signs to me and I finally took a closer examination of his gums and saw that first tooth fighting it's way through the gums. I did bring it up to his doctor at his next well baby exam and was told that although it was quite early, it was not unheard of and would be fine.

That was also the first tooth that he lost at only 4 years old, so not only did he get that tooth early, he lost it earlier then other children. The rest of teeth seemed to come in right around the proper timeframe. It was just that one little one that was early. So while it is unusual that young, it is not unheard of or harmful.

I have 3 children, the youngest is 8 months old and it seems like the entire 1st year is spent guessing when the teeth are going to come through. With my kids, it seemed like they were the crankiest the week before the teeth broke through. And with everyone of them they ran a low grade temp and had diarrhea for a couple days before the teeth (even though the ped swears that there is no medical reason for this to happen because of teeth) With my 8 month old if I'm questioning if she has teeth coming through or is just cranky, I've had good luck with orajel and tylenol. My oldest who is now 5 years old had to wear a bib constantly for the first year of his life because he was soaked in drool if I didn't keep a bib on him. There really is no tell-tale sign that teeth are coming. It's all a guessing game (as with most mommy issues!)

My daughter has been "chewing" on her fingers and blowing bubbles since she was about 2 1/2 to 3 months. I thought she was going to be an early starter. She is 4 months now and those fingers go in her mouth all the time, as well as any of her toys she can get hold of. Still no teeth but I do feel little bumps in her gums. I figure sometime in the next month maybe.

I have twin boys now 6. Older one was drooly-booly from 3 months until near 2 yrs. old. 1st tooth at 6 months. My 2nd never really drooled. Had a 104.5 fever (911 called) at 9 weeks. They said its 'teething' and all was fine. He got his 1st tooth at 11 months.
They were 6 in March. Oldest lost 3 bottom teeth and one is pretty loose on top. 2nd doesn't even have any loose teeth. And luckily, he's ok with it.
Love the washcloth idea...and it can soak up the drool! Spit bibs are a must!
Good luck

Those early teeth can take awhile, but it does sound like teething to me. My son started teething when he was 2 months old and broke his first teeth at 4 months. I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as he seems comfortable enough. Teething can be hard - especially when the teeth are just about to come through. You should be able to tell when your baby is close to breaking teeth just be feeling his gums - they can swell up quite a bit (you'll feel the bumps where the teeth are). Also know that the gums might swell and then go back down and back up a few times before the teeth come through. Good luck!

Hi J.,

My little girl has been doing some of the same things. I asked our ped about it.....
Part of putting their hands in their mouth is just exploring their world. That's how they know what's part of them and not.
The extra saliva is actually the glands needed to digest solid foods developing.

Hope that helps.

Just FYI: my daughter started the same thing by 2 months; she's now 8 months and still toothless! Try offering him a variety of teethers. Our perennial favorites are Sophie the giraffe and a maple teething ring. Though everything goes in the mouth, only some textures help relieve the pain/urgency to chew, and it can be a different thing each day.

he's probably teething! the drool is very "syrupy" and EVERYTHING not only goes in the mouth, but gets gnawed on. you can also feel swollen gums and my son's would sometimes bleed. people thought i was crazy when my son was about 10 weeks old and i told them he was teething. i just knew it! the whole process can take 2 months until you see an actual tooth. low and behold, at 4 months his first 2 teeth popped through. at 7.5 months he had all EIGHT! i think it's harder on little babies - the teething pain. we used hyland's teething tablets which helped a tiny bit. tylenol did nothing. as soon as he turned 6 months we started using motrin and that helped a lot. let me tell you, now that he has 8 teeth and we're getting a little break, he is FINALLY sleeping - regular naps and only one wake up at night. before that, his sleeping was awful and i would beat myself up about it being something i was or wasn't doing. early teething is tough - i wish you the best!!!

My son did exactly the same things around the same time. However, the symptoms waned three or four weeks later, and at 18 weeks, we still don't have any teeth that have broken through. These first teeth take an incredibly long time to break through so your son might go through a progression of symptoms. In the meantime though, we got my son used to sucking on a cold, wet washcloth. It feels good in his mouth and will help once we have to get it in there to clean the teeth.

I have heard of babies being born with teeth. Just like with everything a infant/baby does each is different. They all mature at different levels. My son did not get any teeth till he was over a year old. the dentist said that is best for babies because until they emerge you do not have to worry about care or bottle mouth, etc.

see the following website for info on symptoms of teething.
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/baby-teething.htm#What%...?

Good Luck with your Little one,
S.

My daughter started doing those things early, right around 3 months, but her first tooth didn't pop through until 6 or 7 months. It can just be a process. My niece, on the other hand, was BORN with two teeth that she never lost - they were her actual baby teeth! So, I wouldn't be surprised at anything with teething - all babies are different!

Babies can start teething that young. Get him one of those gel pretzels that you put in the freezer to harden. You can get them at Osco or probably any store that sells baby goods. Keep an extra one in the freezer in a zip lock bag (I don't know what we did before them to keep germs out).

My son started drooling like crazy at 2 months and had his 1st tooth at 4 months.

More than likely he is teething. My daughter got her first two teeth at 4 months of age. By the time she turned 1 she had a mouth full of teeth and got her 2 year molars at about 1.5 years old. Some kids just start the process earlier than others. I gave my children the Hyland teething tablets. They are tiny enough for their little mouths and they disolved immediately. My son was hooked on them. I found them at Whole Foods and are safe for babies. Have patients with him because the teething process isn't all that much fun for them. Good luck!

At almost 3 months, I wouldn't say your baby is teething super early. Mine started the drooling, chewing stage between 3 and 4 months. But didn't get any teeth till 6 to 7 months. The teething process is longer than most parents think and the most painful portion is the part when the teeth are coming up through the bone. The super intense part that lasts 24 to 48 hours when the teeth come through the skin hurts I'm sure, but my kids always seemed like they were helped more by tylenol during the early parts of teething - were your little one is probably at now. Welcome to the world of teething! In my experience with 3 little ones you stay in this stage the longest - till about 2 years when their morales come through. Good luck!

My daughter had "teething" signs at 3 months. She popped her first tooth at 12 months. :)

I think it is possible that your child is teething, but look for swollen, red gums as well as what previous posters suggested. You actually see the gums a little more bulging where the teeth are coming through. Also, ask your mom when you teethed. I understand that this is hereditary. That will give you a rough indication of when you can expect your child to teethe.

Increased saliva and awareness of hands and limbs as well as putting everything in ones mouth is very normal and common at this age. And is common to be confused for teething. But teeth as with all things baby, there is a HUGE range for normal!

Also thought I'd add, some other common signs (although some peds will disagree with me, more moms would agree... :) )
- low grade fever
- increased irritability
- difficulty sleeping at night - sometimes not pain, but uncomfortable, in older kids, tossing/turning and not getting comfortable
- Night time pain- screaming (apparently laying down increases pressure on the gums so they feel it more at night)
- snotty nose with no other cold symptoms
- diahrea

Most of my mom friends kids experienced at least 2 of the above.

Good luck!

My second son had his first tooth at 4 1/2 months but had symptoms about a month before (so not that far off from your son's age). Check to see if the gums are red and/or swollen. You can always have your doc check too for peace of mind. If only they could tell us!!!!

BTW, I had a neighbor whose son had teeth by three months so it can happen.

Good luck,

Denise

My son's drool and love of chewing any hand or finger he could get into his mouth also started very early. However, it's not true teething unless their gums are starting to show signs of irritation, ie. red and swollen. As long as he's happy about all the chewing he gets to do and isn't bothered by all the drool, I wouldn't worry. Find him toys with chewable ends, and try to keep his chin and neck as dry as possible. If he gets a rash (which is highly likely) use whatever you use for diaper rash on it. This is what my pediatrician said, and I was surprised, but it is essentially the same thing...too much moisture staying on the skin and irritating it. Good luck.

NO I am thinking he has reflux signs the eating hands and drooling and refusing abotle and the pacifier. Check his mouth are you sur e it is not thrush or mouth soars? I would take him to the pedatrician and talk about this one vefore you go back to work. Does he sleep ok right now? Need to be held upright or sleep in the car seat better etc?
good luck
J.

My daughter started the teething signs (drooling, chewing on everything) at 4 months, but did not get her first tooth till she was 7 months. Her teeth are very slow movers. Don't worry; just give him safe stuff to chew on and make sure he's wearing bibs. I found that even drool can cause stains on their clothes.

It definitely sounds like teething. My son got his first tooth at 4 months. My mother in law was even born with a tooth. My pediatrician says he has seen babies born with teeth, and then he has seen kids at 18 months with no teeth. He says those are the two ends of the "normal" spectrum. My son liked to chew on a frozen washcloth. Just wet one corner and freeze. I also put baby orajel on there when that didn't work, and I massaged his gums. (If you can't see the teeth yet, you might want to try massaging the bottom gums in the front, that is usually where the first teeth poke through.) My son wouldn't use teething rings because he was so young, yours might not either. Hope this was helpful.

Well, teeth are hereditary, so maybe try to find out when your or the baby's father first cut teeth. Also the increase in saliva production is where your baby is at developmentally. So this where you need to put a bib on all the time. The gums will begin to look white and taunt before the teeth cut through. They can start to come in as early as 3 months, so its quite possible. Also, the baby has just discovered his hands and wants to check them out. So when the baby is sticking his hands, fist in his mouth, he's trying to figure them out. So from now on, he will be sticking most everything in his mouth as a way of discovery.
I hope this helps and I didn't seem to lecture. Just sharing my knowledge and experience. I'm sorry you're returning to work already. That time at home with your sweet baby goes by so fast. Good luck going back to work and may it be as painless as possible. My heart goes out to you.

Hi J.
I remember when my father,a father of seven,came to visit me and my 11 week old son and told me the baby was teething.I knew he couldn't be because it was so early but sure enough he had his first tooth just two days after he was three months old.It was a little bit unusual because it was nearly as large as two teeth and he did not grow one of his baby teeth but when the teeth came out and the adult teeth came in everything was perfectly perfect.Sounds like you are a great mom.Trust yourself.Where did the last 23 years go?L.

My sister's sister-in-law was BORN with teeth, as was her mom...I was amazed to find that out! Turns out you can teeth as early as in the womb :)
Good luck!

I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 2 month old and thought she was teething too. My older daughter got her first tooth around 6 months, so if he's fussy, it could be gas, constipation, or he needs to burp. My daughter is going thru the same thing.
Good luck and congrats!

Hi sweetie! My son went through the same exact thing...he started the symptoms of teething at the 12 week mark & didn't get his first tooth until he was 6 months old! His doctor actually told me that he was "preparing" for a tooth at his 4 month check up. The thing that I would be concerned with is the fact that he's refusing food. This is also common for children (in certain stages), but have you "upped" the size of the nipple on his bottle? That would help if you haven't done it already because the harder he has to suck, the more pressure it puts on his gums. If the flow is a little faster, it shouldn't hurt as much. Also, if it seems to bother him, one thing that my son LOVED when he was teething is made by The First Years & it is a teether that vibrates when you bite down on it! This was the only thing that pacified him. I tried every teething ring you could possibly imagine & that is the only one that seemed to work. Good luck!

Hi J.-
Your son sounds like an early teether. My daughter had the same symptoms at the same age. She popped her 1st tooth at 4 months and the rest followed steadily over the next year. She's 15 months and has a mouth full of cute little teeth...including her molars and eye teeth! My mom laughs and says she's never seen a baby with their teeth so early. Just hang in there with him and make it as comfortable as you can. The molars were the worst part for us. I used teething gel that helped. Tried the holistic brand, but it didn't work as well, for us. I also used to put her teething toys (including her pacifier) in the freezer for some numbing comfort. She would be quiet chewing on her teething toy and then start whining when it came back to normal temperature. When it got real bad with the molars, and she got a bit of a fever, my ped told me I could give her tylenol, which helped a ton, especially at bedtime. It'll all be over before you know it. Talk to your doctor about it the next time you bring him in for a check-up. I couldn't tell that my daughter's gums were red/ swollen, but he instantly said they were the second he saw them. I'm a new mom so I honestly didn't know what to look for. Good luck, hope this helped. :o)

My second son had all four front teeth by the time he was 3 1/2 months old. People would look at me like I was crazy when I said he was teething at two months old. There is no right or wrong age for developement. He has also gotten his secondary teeth early too. But despite the thoughts that early teething is bad for teeth just make sure you start oral hygenine right away rubbing gums even before teeth are exposed will keep them healthly. My son has beautiful teeth and a smile to match.

My daughter started teething at 10 weeks. It is never too early! Nothing seemed to soothe her except nursing so basically she cried until the tooth came in, was happy for a couple days, and then started to cry because a new tooth was coming. It was a really tough couple of months. Try getting a corner of a wash cloth wet and freezing it. Then he can chew on it without getting his hand cold. Good luck!

My son started "teething" at around 6-7 weeks. In the evening, the only thing my husband or I could do to calm him was to let him lie face down across our knees and let him chew on our finger. At such an early age, he was really biting/gnawing h*** o* our finger. At our 8 week doctor's appt, I asked if it was possible that he was teething. The doctor checked and said that yes, his gums were swollen.

Unfortunately, Spencer is now 4 months old and still no sign of teeth. He quit gnawing on our finger for a few weeks, and now he's finally starting to use some of his teething rings a little. Point is: while your child may be showing signs of teething already, it doesn't mean his teeth will come any earlier. It may just mean you have more months of drool and teething.

I hope everything works out well for you. Best of luck!