MedicineNet

Dental Care for Babies Center - Mission, TX

WebMD Physician Directory

Mission, Texas

Upcoming Local Events

2012-05-26
2012-06-17
The Virtual Father's Day Run - Brownsville
Throughout Brownsville, Texas
2012-06-17
The Virtual Father's Day Run - McAllen
Throughout McAllen, Texas
2012-06-23
2012-11-11
World Run Day 2012 Registration - Brownsville
Throughout Brownsville, Texas
2012-11-11

Dental Care for Babies

When to Start Caring for Your Baby's Teeth

It's a good idea to get in the habit of cleaning your baby's gums even before teeth emerge.

To clean your baby's mouth:

  1. Lay your baby in your lap with his or her head close to your chest.
  2. Gently, but firmly, rub a clean and damp piece of gauze or washcloth along both the upper and lower gums.
  3. Clean the gums at least two times a day -- after breakfast and after the last feeding of the day. Even better -- clean your baby's gums after every feeding.

What Is Teething?

Teething refers to the time when baby teeth (also called deciduous teeth or primary teeth) appear. Generally, teething first occurs between 6 months and 24 months of age. While this process is uneventful in some children; for others, it causes quite a bit of discomfort and irritability.

Check out this tooth chart and learn when to expect your baby's teeth to appear.

What Are Symptoms of Teething?

Symptoms include:

  • Increased irritability
  • Placing objects or fingers in the mouth and biting down on them
  • Increased saliva or drooling
  • Loss of appetite or becoming choosy about foods
  • Tender and swollen gums
  • Rash on cheeks or redness in the area of the cheeks near the affected gums
  • Restlessness
  • Ear pulling, which may be a sign of teething or possibly an ear infection (make an appointment to have your child seen by your doctor or pediatrician)

Teething does not result in fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. If your child experiences these problems, contact your doctor.

What Can I Do to Ease Teething Pain?

  • Massage your child's gums with a clean finger or the back of a small cold spo...

Recommended Reading Related to Dental Care for Babies

Fever »

Aches, pain, fever facts

  • Although a fever could be considered any body temperature above the normal 98.6 F (37 C), medically, a person is not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 F (38.0 C).
  • Most fever is beneficial, causes no problems, and helps the body fight off infections. The main reason for treating a fever is to increase comfort.
  • Fever is the result of an immune response by your body to a foreign invader. These foreign invaders include viruses, bacteria, fungi, drugs or other toxins.
  • Children under 3 months of age with a temperature of 100.4 F (38.0 C) or greater should be seen by a health care professional. They may be quite ill and not show any signs or symptoms besides a fever. Infants less than 6 weeks of age should be seen immediately by their doctor.
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can be used to treat a fever. Aspirin sh...

Emergency Contact for Mission

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Mission Hospitals *

Mission Regional Medical Center
900 South Bryan Rd
Mission, TX 78572
(956)580-9000

McAllen Medical Center
301 W Expressway 83
Mcallen, TX 78503
(956)632-4000

LifeCare Hospitals of South Texas McAllen Campus South
2001 South M St
Mcallen, TX 78503
(956)688-4300

Rio Grande Regional Hospital
101 E Ridge Rd
Mcallen, TX 78503
(956)632-6000

McAllen Heart Hospital
1900 South D St
Mcallen, TX 78503
(956)994-2401

LifeCare Hospitals of South Texas McAllen Campus North
5101 N Jackson Rd
Mcallen, TX 78504
(956)926-7000

Edinburg Regional Medical Center
1102 W Trenton Rd
Edinburg, TX 78539
(956)388-6000

Doctors Hospital At Renaissance
5501 S McColl Rd
Edinburg, TX 78539
(956)661-7100

Cornerstone Regional Hospital
2302 Cornerstone Blvd
Edinburg, TX 78539
(956)618-4444

Knapp Medical Center
1401 E 8th St
Weslaco, TX 78596
(956)968-8567

Starr County Memorial Hospital
2573 Hospital Ct
Rio Grande City, TX 78582
(956)487-5561

*Provider Directory Terms of Use:

The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval.

You are prohibited from using, downloading, republishing, selling, duplicating, or "scraping" for commercial or any other purpose whatsoever, the Provider Directory or any of the data listings or other information contained therein, in whole or in part, in any medium whatsoever.

The Provider Directory is provided on an "AS-IS" basis. WebMD disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for particular purpose. Without limiting the foregoing, WebMD does not warrant or represent that the Provider Directory or any part thereof is accurate or complete. You assume full responsibility for the communications with any Provider you contact through the Provider Directory. WebMD shall in no event be liable to you or to anyone for any decision made or action taken by you in the reliance on information provided in the Provider Directory.

The use of WebMD Provider Directory by any entity or individual to verify the credentials of Providers is prohibited. The database of Provider information which drives WebMD Provider Directory does not contain sufficient information with which to verify Provider credentials under the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) of the Utilization Review Accreditation Committee (URAC).

By using the WebMD Provider Directory, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.