Teething??

my son is 5 months old and has been crying all day. I put my finger in his mouth and at the bottom front was really sharp. does that mean the tooth is coming or has it popped the skin already? when will it actually be an obvious tooth?

Teething??
Teething is the process during which an infant's teeth start to sequentially grow in. Teething can start as early as three months or as late, in some cases, as twelve months. Occasionally a baby may even present with one or more teeth at birth. The typical time frame for new teeth to appear is somewhere between six and nine months. It can take up to several years for all 20 deciduous (aka "baby" or "milk") teeth to emerge. The process of teething is sometimes referred to as "cutting teeth".





The infant teeth tend to emerge in pairs - first one upper incisor emerges then the other upper incisor emerges before the next set begin to emerge. The general pattern of emergence is:





Lower central incisors


Upper central incisors


Upper lateral incisors


Lower lateral incisors


First molars


Canines


Second molars


Milk teeth tend to emerge sooner in females than in males. The exact patterns and initial starting times of teething appear to be hereditary. When and how teeth appear in an infant has no bearing on the healthiness or developmental ability of the child.





During teething, the new teeth are breaking through the surface of the gums. Signs of teething may include





Poor mood


Loss of appetite


Chewing of objects


Bruises/swelling in gums


Excess salivation


Teething has not been shown to cause fever. A slight rise of temperature may occur when the teeth come through the gum. But it does not make a baby ill.





Infants chew on objects to aid in the teething process. This can be dangerous if the baby is allowed to chew on objects which are small enough to be swallowed or which could break while being chewed, creating a risk of choking. Teething rings and other toys are often designed with textures that will appeal to an infant during teething.





In cases where the infant is in obvious pain, some doctors recommend the use of anti-inflammatories or child-safe pain-relief treatments containing benzocaine. Some infants gain relief from chewing on cold objects.





Dentists recommend brushing infants' teeth as soon as they appear. It is not necessary to wait for the teething process to complete. Dentists may recommend against the use of fluoride toothpaste during teething.
Reply:If it's sharp, the tooth has already broken the skin. You should be able to recognize the top of a tooth in a day or two.