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Dental Care for Babies Center - Westfield, MA

WebMD Physician Directory

Westfield, Massachusetts

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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 Westfield

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Westfield Hospitals *

Western Massachusetts Hospital
91 E Mountain Rd
Westfield, MA 01085
(413)562-4131

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St
Springfield, MA 01199
(413)794-0000

Mercy Medical Center
271 Carew St
Springfield, MA 01104
(413)748-9000

Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital
233 Carew St
Springfield, MA 01104
(413)748-9000

Shriners Hospital for Children
516 Carew St
Springfield, MA 01104
(413)787-2000

Noble Hospital
115 W Silver St
Westfield, MA 01086
(413)568-2811

Providence Hospital
1233 Main St
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413)536-5111

Kindred Hospital Park View
1400 State St
Springfield, MA 01109
(413)787-6700

Holyoke Medical Center
575 Beech St
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413)534-2500

HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts
14 Chestnut Pl
Ludlow, MA 01056
(413)589-7581

Cooley Dickinson Hospital
30 Locust St
Northampton, MA 01060
(413)582-2000

Northampton VA Medical Center
421 N Main St
Leeds, MA 01053
(413)584-4040

Wing Memorial Hospital & Medical Center
40 Wright St
Palmer, MA 01069
(413)283-7651

Johnson Memorial Hospital
201 Chestnut Hill Rd
Stafford Springs, CT 06076
(860)684-4251

Rockville General Hospital
31 Union St
Vernon Rockville, CT 06066
(860)872-5100

St Francis Care Hospital Mount Sinai Campus
500 Blue Hills Ave
Hartford, CT 06112
(860)714-4000

The Hospital at Hebrew Healthcare
1 Abrahms Blvd
W Hartford, CT 06117
(860)523-3800

Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital
490 Blue Hills Ave
Hartford, CT 06112
(860)714-3500

St Francis Hospital & Medical Center
114 Woodland St
Hartford, CT 06105
(860)714-4000

Manchester Memorial Hospital
71 Haynes St
Manchester, CT 06040
(860)646-1222

Baystate Mary Lane Hospital
85 South St
Ware, MA 01082
(413)967-6211

Hungerford Emergency & Medical Care
115 Spencer St
Winsted, CT 06098
(860)738-6650

Connecticut Children's Medical Center
282 Washington St
Hartford, CT 06106
(860)545-9000

Hartford Hospital
80 Seymour St
Hartford, CT 06102
(860)545-5000

Institute of Living Hartford Hospital
200 Retreat Ave
Hartford, CT 06106
(800)673-2411

University of Connecticut Health Center John Dempsey
263 Farmington Ave
Farmington, CT 06030
(860)679-2000

VA Connecticut Healthcare System Newington Campus
555 Willard Ave
Newington, CT 06111
(860)666-6951

Cedarcrest Hospital
525 Russell Rd
Newington, CT 06111
(860)666-4613

Hospital for Special Care
2150 Corbin Ave
New Britain, CT 06053
(860)827-1958

The Hospital of Central Connecticut New Britain Campus
100 Grand St
New Britain, CT 06052
(860)224-5011

Veterans Home & Hospital Rocky Hill
287 West St
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
(860)529-2571

Harrington Memorial Hospital
100 South St
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508)765-9771

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital
540 Litchfield St
Torrington, CT 06790
(860)496-6666

Bristol Hospital
41 Brewster Rd
Bristol, CT 06010
(860)585-3000

Franklin Medical Center
164 High St
Greenfield, MA 01301
(413)773-0211

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