how to know if it's painful

**Priscilla** · 15-04-2006 18:23

How can you tell if the teething process is becoming painful for bubs? My son is 7mths, and as yet no teeth has come through. He's biting on things and has now started to do this chewing action with his mouth. Also when I'm feeding him solids, he'll REALLY bite down onto the spoon (we use those chewy spoons) like he's clenching his jaw! Sometimes he just does it when there's nothing in his mouth. Is that a sign of pain? And is it really safe to use the teething gels? Which one is good?

I currently have SM33 gel for all the ulcers DS has given me with his headbutts. Is this one ok to use?

**limlib** · 15-04-2006 18:35

Just because he is biting everything doesn't mean it is painful - he is just trying his teeth out. I know when my DS has pain with his teeth because he cries out for no apparent reason in his sleep - obviously distressed- and the drool and red cheeks tell me why. My DS has had pain with his molars but apart from his very first tooth he was never been that distressed with the others coming through. He did enjoy chewing and biting when the teeth were just through.

I never used teething gel, just cold teething rings and if distressed at night some panadol. If your baby seems normal and happy as usual, I wouldn't think he is in pain with the teething. It is very clear when they ARE in pain with their teeth. Each baby is different though, in my Mothers' group some babies had a lot of pain and did have teething gels but I am not sure which brand so can't comment there.

**HugsAndKisses** · 01-05-2006 10:34

hello,
my son used to bite down on his spoon aswell so wat i used to do is let him carry it around to chew on. (supervised of course) i tried to give him teething rings but as soon as they werent cold anymore they were of no use. bonjella in my opinion is very safe and effective

im a bit of a worrier as to wats safe for my son but i havent had any trouble with this brand and it seems to work well. good luck with it

**Tam-I-Am** · 07-05-2006 00:50

You'll know - bubs will let you know. He probably just won't be himself, IYKWIM.

BTW bonjella is recommended for bubs when teething - but be careful. It does contain aspirin, which can be a risk if your bubba has asthma, and it can't be used in conjunction with some other medications (like neurofen for babies).

If in doubt, always consult a pharmacist or doctor.

**JnA** · 07-05-2006 02:28

I used Bonjella with great success. But I agree that you will know if there's pain there. Jade wakes during the night if she is in pain due to teeth, can't resettle herself like she normally would, that's my indication. (along with the red cheeks and the drooling)

Bonjella has asprin in it, so can't be used, as Tami-and-Claire said, with other meds that also contain asprin. But it can be used with paracetamol, however, IME, you don't need both for teething.

Good luck and I hope the process is quick and relatively painless.

**mum33** · 07-05-2006 22:05

i agree bonjella is some good s**t... excuse my language but it is! it works almost straight away. it must taste yucky though coz DS always pulls a face when i apply it but later calms right down when it starts to kick in.