Teething Help

Updated on April 15, 2008
C.B. asks from Oskaloosa, KS
14 answers

well my son is 18 months old so the good news is ...well at least i know what's wrong by now. just wondering HOW LONG do we have to look forward to this - he's cutting his VERY back molars. one is practically through, i can feel the point of it but there's still skin over it. the other one is lagging a bit. it's been a week already and my son is soooo unhappy. he hasn't slept all night for like 5 nights now - and i'm not talking about waking up and going back to bed, he wakes up about 5 or 6 times a night. i'm restocking on the baby tylenol today because he's run me out (i only give it to him at night, once a night for the most part, one night this week i gave it to him twice). i don't have much faith in the topical stuff (orajel, ect) because i've used them with canker sores and it seems like if you don't reapply it every 20-30 minutes they're not much use. i'm sooo tired...and my baby is sooo unhappy. he has started acting a lot better during the day so i thought we were over the hump, but as often as he's still waking up (crying for 20-30 minutes, sometimes going back to sleep on his own, sometimes needing me to go in and comfort or give a drink before he'll go back down) i know it's not over yet. how long does this normally last? help!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

thanks for all the advice! i got ibuprofen last night and with its help my son slept for ELEVEN HOURS straight (normal for him but NOT in the last week!) he woke up "my" boy again, sweet and happy and a joy to be around. life is much better today - thanks everyone again (i know i'll look to these answers in the future too!)

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.K.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi! I used Hyland Teething medicine with my girls
it worked great I which I had used It with my boys but
I didn't. You can get this at the Health Food Store the
teething medicine is little dissovled pills which calms
the little nerves in thier mouth.

Hope this will help. B. K.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.O.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi Carrie, I have a 18mo old girl and understand how you are feeling. I bought Hyland's teething tablets at Walgreens and they seem to help. The tablets are natural and dissolve though my daughter enjoys chewing on them. I hope this can help you and the two of you get sleep soon.M. (SAHM) of three wonderful children.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Are you using Ibprofen also or just tylenol? I noticed that with my daughter, Ibprofen worked better when she was teeting and seemed to last longer. I also liked the teeting tabs.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from St. Louis on

You asked how long this normally lasts.... Well unfortunately it is completely different for each child. My son didn't get his first tooth until around his first birthday and didn't get his two year molars until after he was three. Sorry if that isn't good news. :-(

I would recommend giving your son ibuprophen instead of Tylenol. It lasts longer (up to 6 hours) and I think it helps more with this type of pain. I also agree with the other poster that suggested a tooth brush. That helped for my son too, but I don't think I would let him have one at night for fear of him choking on it. But I would put some safe teethers in the crib for him. Maybe put a sippy cup full of ice water in their too?

Good luck and keep us posted on what works and doesn't work.

J.
www.MindBodyBabyStL.com

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.V.

answers from St. Louis on

My little guy really struggled with molars in March--we ended up after at Urgent Care on a Sunday when his sleeping just got worse and worse (pretty much nonexistent he was so miserable)--very unlike him--and he actually had a double ear infection. He did not have a cold--but did run a fever (which he usually does when he teeths). THey said it is not unusual to get an ear infection (it was his first) when teething. I know it is not the best feeling to be giving them medications--but we alternated (at our pediatricians recommendation) motrin and tylenol every 3 hours. This helped somewhat--though he was still in too much pain to lay down and sleep. Orajel also helped relax him before sleep--or helps soothe while the pain reliever wears off or is just starting to work. Good luck--

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.K.

answers from Kansas City on

I hear you on this one. Molars are the worst for these little
ones, and if you think about it, we adults would be pretty
miserable if we were cutting molars, too!! Can you imagine
all that pressure in your gums, along with the itching and
stinging that they feel? I can't tell you how long it lasts,
every child is different, but when they finally break completely thru the skin, it's over. Ibuprofen worked a lot
better for my 22 month old than tylenol because it helps with
the inflammation. Have you tried Hyland's teething tablets?
They are homeopathic, and you can find them at Walgreens and
CVS. They worked for my son, and they are easy to give to
them because they dissolve really quickly in their mouth.
You have to give them every 15 minutes until you get to the
maximum dose, but they are a godsend to a lot of parents!
Another thing was to put my son in his highchair and let him
chew on popsicles. Nighttime is the worst for a lot of little
ones and for us, too because nobody gets any sleep!! It's
just one of the joys of motherhood, I think! Aside from getting some medicine on board at bedtime and maybe again thru
the night, I don't know what else to tell you. I wish I could
be of more help, but it's going to pass. I know, that doesn't
help much when you're in the middle of it, does it??
Hang tough, Mom. And let him chew-frozen washrags, teething
toys, anything. Chewing and gnawing will help bust those things thru the gums.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.J.

answers from Kansas City on

Carrie,

try rubbing his gums with oil of cloves
you might get a pleasent surprise
hopes this works for you

mother of 1
grandmother of 3

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Have you talked to his doctor? I used to babysit a child that would get an ear infection everytime he would get a new tooth - especially a molar. Infants Motrin will last longer that Tylenol. Children are always in more pain or have a higher fever at night. Try to give him a cold wash rag to chew on (get it wet and put it in the freezer for about 5 mins)during the day. They also make a product called teething tablets, they are homeopathic and very safe. They sell them at Walmart. For some reason they are in the vitamin aisle. I used them with my kiddos and they were awesome. Hope this helps. E.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.S.

answers from Kansas City on

This may seem silly but really, a toothbrush saved my life! Emme loved the bristles rubbing along her gums and the hard plastic was great for her to gnaw on. My step-mom called me and asked for my advice about teething because nothing seemed to be working for my brother and sister (who are now 1). I told her about the toothbrush and sure enough, that's what helped Karson and Kennedy. Give it a try! It's cheap and you don't have to worry about over medicating them. :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.S.

answers from St. Louis on

Have you tried the homeopathic teething tablets by Hyland's? I used those with both of my boys and they really helped. I used to find them at Wal-Mart and I think I've started seeing them recently at Target.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.H.

answers from St. Louis on

Talk to your doctor about alternating Tylenol and Motrin. You can give them more frequently if you alternate.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.Y.

answers from Springfield on

Carrie B
I sell Discovery Toys. We have what is called a Super Yummy. It has 4 teething sensations on the "big" part. But what is great and would help you, is you can turn it around, hold the "big" part, and it will reach those back molars and bring a ton of relief!
L.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.G.

answers from Kansas City on

Try "Little Teethers".They are homeopathic and desolve fast.You can get it at Wal-Mart. Hope this helps and good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.N.

answers from St. Louis on

Hylands Teething Tablets, you can buy them at Walgreens or Walmart. They worked wonders for my son. They are homeopathic and dissolve in the mouth and help the crankiness of a toddler teething.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches