How Long Teething Lasts

Teething happens over a period of time rather than being a one day event which, let's be honest, is what you and many other parents would want. Who wouldn't prefer their offspring to endure a single day of teething instead of several months of discomfort and distress? It can be a long, drawn out affair but one that is special in that it marks an important stage in your baby's development (we realise that you might not see it that way when you are woken up by your teething baby in the wee small hours of the morning!). But the best way of dealing with this apart from reaching for a strong alcoholic drink is to comfort your baby and look at ways of easing any pain or other symptoms of teething. And accept that you have to put up with some crankiness for a time.

Duration of teething

Every baby is different in regard to the age at which they start teething and how long the process lasts for. The age at which your little bundle of fun gets his/her first tooth will differ from your best friend's baby and others. Basically, your baby's milk teeth will gradually appear over a two year period. Now before you feel the need to sit down and recover, remember this: your baby will not be experiencing teething symptoms constantly throughout this time. What do we mean by this? In this period your baby will get new teeth at intervals. These intervals are characterised by symptoms such as increased dribbling, sore gums, upset tummy and crankiness. These symptoms are collectively known as teething.

Your baby will have these symptoms each time a tooth appears. They are part of the process in which a tooth breaks through the surface of the gums to sit in its correct position in the mouth. In some cases your baby will experience these symptoms a short period of time before a tooth appears.

In other words they are a sign of what is to come: the eruption of a new tooth.