Worried about infant teething? Infant teething comes with so many pieces of advice and suggestions from everyone around the baby.

When a baby is born, even since the conception parents are apprehended towards the growth and development of a child. Firstly, when a baby is in the womb he is monitored timely through the ultrasonography and fetal heart sounds for the wellbeing.

Once the baby is born we look for his or her growth and development. For better immunity, we are always ready to shield them. It includes using home remedies, medicines or over layering of clothes to protect the child in winters. But what should we look for to assess that if they need it or is it unnecessary? Especially when it comes to dentition or infant teething difficulties.

Understand the developmental milestones

When talking about the GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT these are two different aspects.

• Growth is a measure of physical maturation and is quantifiable like weight and height.
• Development is an acquisition of skills like head support, grasping, walking, talking, development of attitudes, adaptation to family and society. And all these become the developmental milestones of a child because they are acquired at different times in their active phase of initial years.

One of the most important phases of child development is during active infant teething. It is not a disease but yes it is associated with a lot of troubles. And parents of toddlers know that by now what all troubles they have faced during initial months of infant teething.

Common signs and symptoms of infant teething are restlessness, gum rubbing, thumb sucking, cranky child, drooling of saliva, loss of appetite. Above these symptoms, an infant will try and put everything in the mouth which is the main cause of concern. It usually leads to infection and other complaints like diarrhea, fever, vomiting, irritability etc.

More about dentition

In human life deciduous and permanent- teeth erupt at different ages of life.

• Deciduous teeth refer to milky teeth or temporary dentition which starts appearing around 6-7 months and start feeling trouble 1-2 months earlier. At around two and a half year old, they will become 20 in number.
• Permanent teeth are 32 in number and start erupting at 6-7 years of age.
• Age of eruption of teeth is approximate and should not be taken as a benchmark, it may be earlier or little late.
• Average temporary teeth are 6 at the age of 12 months, 12 teeth at 18 months, 16 teeth at 24 months and 20 teeth at 30 months.
• Lower incisor (front teeth) come up first.

Structure of teeth

Teeth are the hardest substance of our body. Parts of teeth include- enamel, dentin, pulp, cementum and periodontal ligament. Enamel part is made of calcium and phosphate.

Should we give Calcarea Phosphoricum 6x during infant teething?

This question must have arrived in every parent’s mind before they give something medicinal (they think without side effect). But the answer is “NO”, we should not give it to every child because every child does not need it.

From any source, newspaper, print media, neighbor, grandmothers or anyone else, one must have heard to use Calcarea Phosphoricum as soon as a child starts to show signs of dentition or infant teething. Many must have used it too.

Have we ever thought why? It is like any other homeopathic medicine and so we should not use it without a prescription by a certified doctor.

In Homoeopathy, medicines are always selected on the basis of the totality of symptoms and on basis of similimum, not on the name of the disease. Individualization is the key. It means one medicine given for one condition is not mandatory for a similar condition in another person. The reaction of the body is different for every individual, so when the reaction is different medicine will also vary.

The indication of Calcarea Phosphoricum in infant teething: When we use it!

• It is a great remedy in defective nutrition.
• When the child is thin, looks unhealthy, weak.
• Slow in development of teeth and bones, though well fed.
• They are anemic, dull and insensitive.
• Vomiting of milk, colicky pain, worse from any change of weather are additional features. 
• Diarrhea is a very prominent feature.
• The stools are green and “sputtering”, passed with great noise. They will feel complaints more when thinking of them.

Homeopathic medicine and their indications for infant teething

Aethusa cynapium:

• Suited for children for summer problems, especially during diarrhea.
• We will find intolerance of milk, with violent sudden vomiting of milk, the child will have no thirst.
• For the psychic sphere child will have an expression of great anxiety and pain along with anguish and crying.

Calcarea Carbonicum:

• Complaints of a child during dentition.
• Child suited to Calcarea Carbonicum is fat, fair, flabby with sweat that is cold, damp and sour.
• In constitutions with deficient or irregular bone development, a child is sluggish or slow in its movements.
• An important feature in children is difficult and delayed dentition along with head sweats, profuse sweat on head and back.
• The digestive tract is sour like sour taste, eructation, vomiting, sour curdled, diarrhea. Also, a great longing for eggs; craves indigestible things.

Causticum:

• This medicine is suitable for children who have dark hair and eyes.
• Sensitiveness is one of the important features in children.
• Children who are prone to skin troubles or convulsions, with the eruption of teeth or infant teething.
• Children will learn to walk slowly, walk unsteadily and young children will fall easily.
• Involuntary urination whenever there is coughing, sneezing and blowing of the nose.

Chamomilla:

• Frequently used in diseases of children, especially for the complaints of dentition.
• Excessively irritable disposition, restless and colicky pain in the abdomen is the guide to medicine.
• The child is sensitive to pain, which drives him crazy.
• The child is unpleasant, cruel, cross and inclined to answer in an uncivilized manner.
• Excessive crying in children.
• Does not want to speak or to be spoken or touched too. The child wants to be carried. Refuses what is offered to him.
• Greenish diarrhea appearing during teething.

 Nux vomica:

• The most marked feature is the oversensitivity – least thing offends, slight noise, light, smell or medicine.
• The child is irritable and hypersensitive, mentally as well as physically.
• Fever and chilliness appearing during dentition with irritability. The child will not allow uncovering, as it causes chilliness. Red appearance of the face.
• Another marked feature is the ineffectual urging for stool.
• Frequently passing little stool at one time and feels better after stool.

Podophyllum:

• Children who are having trouble with dentition.
• The child will have moaning. Irritation of teeth expressed in terms of grinding of teeth and intense desire to press gums together.
• Dentition in summers with the presentation as gastroenteritis with symptoms as colicky pain and bilious vomiting.
• Diarrhea during an eruption of teeth and passing stool after eating.

Silicea:

• The child with constitutions which suffer from deficient nutrition i.e, because of the imperfect assimilation of food, in spite of proper intake.
• The child with mental and physical oversensitivity.
• Sensitivity to cold. Lack of vital heat even while active exercise, especially about the head.
• Mentally child who is headstrong, obstinate, and cries whenever spoken kindly.
• Slow in learning to walk.
• Prone to skin troubles, every little injury turns into more trouble.

Also Read: Things you must know about Kids Dental Care as a parent

Disclaimer

These medicines are very few in the list of medicines giving relief for the symptoms of infant teething or dentition troubles in your child. Also, these are very few indications for the prescription of medicine. Homeopathic medicines though believed to be without side effects; truly they are in the minutest of dose. But the positive effect in long run will not be seen if it is not given according to the principles of homeopathy. It is at the discretion of the physician to choose any medicine for a condition. AVOID SELF MEDICATION!!

Wish you a very Healthy Infant Teething and Happy Parenting!