Teething

My normally happy baby is grumpy.  He's not tired or hungry; he does not need a new diaper.  He's neither too hot or too cold.  He's not bored or lonely.  He's not striving to gain anything out of his reach.  There has been no external stimuli that might frighten him or make him sad.  Yet he is clearly in a bad mood and none of the things that normally make him smile are really doing us much good.  What has happened to my son?  He's not demon possessed (though the way he is acting speaks to the contrary).  An exorcism is not required.

No ghost will need busting today.

Then what for the love of God is the problem?  Taking a peek inside his mouth reveals the problem.  There are at least two bumps in the gums that looks suspiciously like teeth on the verge of erupting.  My son is teething.

All we need here is some baby pain killers.  (Available in both liquid and fast dissolving tablets.) And now to find something better for him to chew on than his fingers.  Maybe a teething toy that has been sitting in the refrigerator will do the trick.

Other than looking in your child's mouth there are clues to be noticed by an observant parent.

• More drool than normal
• Chin rash (might be from the drool)
• A slight fever
• A new found need to chew on just about anything
• Not sleeping well
• Irritability

Can a pending tooth always be seen before it breaches the gums?

No.  Some times you can see it coming sometimes you can't.  And it's not because you're bad at spotting imminent baby teeth.  Sometimes there is nothing to see until the moment of truth.  (At which point the tooth has appeared in all its, hopefully, pearly white glory.)