It's only teething... A report of the myths and modern approaches to teething

Abstract

Paediatric dentistry is not my usual field of work. I am now based almost entirely in restorative dentistry and it is five years since I worked in the dental department of a children's hospital. An essay on teething would appear to be an unusual choice of topic. With the current professional climate of 'general professional education' and 'lifelong learning' I can easily justify my time and effort studying a subject somewhat removed from my regular work. However, to be completely honest, I have reached that age when many of my friends, relatives and colleagues are enjoying the sleepless nights that accompany expanding families. Add to this the fact that I have recently married into a family of midwives, health visitors, nurses and new mothers. I was not sure that I was giving the best, most up to date advice when asked about teething. So some reading around was required. If only it were that simple. I now feel equipped to give a little more help than simply saying, "It's only teething..."

Say a prayer for the safe cutting of a child's teeth: The folklore of teething

“…In the fourth century BC, Hippocrates, who understood that teeth developed in utero, wrote a short treatise, De Dentitione , which included 32 observations on teeth, 7 of which mention teething specifically. ‘Teething children suffer from itching of the gums, fevers, convulsions and diarrhea, especially when they cut their eye teeth and when they are very corpulent and costive’ (25th Aphorism, third book) . Hippocrates taught that teeth derive nourishment from the uterus before birth but receive nourishment from the mother's milk after birth.…”

“…Aetios also encouraged the practice of wearing bracelets and amulets to make teething easier . He recommended ‘Root of colocynth [a wild, poisonous vine] hung on the child in a gold or silver case, or bramble root, or the tooth of a viper, especially a male viper, set in gold or green jasper, suspended on the neck so as to hang over the stomach’ …”

“…In 1429, Von Louffenberg, a German priest, summarised the care of a teething baby:

Now when your baby's teeth appear, you must of these take prudent care . For teething comes with grievous pain, so to my word take heed again . When now the teeth are pushing through, to rub the gums thou thus shall do . Take fat from chicken, brain from hare, and these full oft on gums shall smear . If ulcers sore thereon should come, then thou shalt rub upon the gum . Honey and salt and oil thereto. But one thing more I counsel you, A salve of oil of violet, for neck and throat and gums to get . And also bathe his head a while, with water boiled with camomile

…”

“…Approximately one‐half of all infant deaths in 18th century France were attributed to teething . By 1839, 5016 deaths in England and Wales were attributed to teething . The 1842 English Registrar‐General report on teething discussed infant mortality: 4.8% of all infants who died in London under the age of 1 year, 7.3% of those between the ages of 1 and 3 and 12% of all deaths under 4 years were directly attributed to teething .…”

“…A French physician, Billard, described works that catalogued difficulties with teething as ‘an extended chapter of absurdities’ . In 1771, the paediatrician George Armstrong wrote, ‘Teething in the manner, as was observed in convulsions, is said to carry off a much greater number of children than it actually does, for almost all children that die whilst they are about teeth are said to die of teething’ …”