Teething: a mum’s story (by Dr Tijana Fisher)

• October 10, 2012
• Dr. Catherine-Anne Walsh

Recently, a friend from mum’s group asked about a certain teething gel and if we (other mums) would recommend it.  Being a dentist, even though I haven’t seen a child younger than 15 in my dental chair for many years, I immediately felt the need to reply to her Facebook post. Without doing any research on it, I pulled all my misguided and gossip-based pieces of information from my baby-brain-depleted memory. I gave the woman all the wrong information about it and basically scared her into thinking this thing was poison in a tube. I later consulted good old Dr Google and found I was totally off the mark with the type of poison I presented it to be, but maybe not too far from the truth saying it was not very healthy for her baby.

The incident with Bonjela taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of doing the research before offering advice. As a mother, it’s easy to feel like an expert on family dental health and offer guidance to other moms. However, it’s important to recognize when we don’t have all the information and do our due diligence before giving advice. In the case of teething relief products, it’s essential to be sceptical of marketing claims and evaluate the efficacy of these products. This experience also led me to question whether teething is a genuine condition and whether certain remedies are actually helpful. Ultimately, promoting good family dental health requires a combination of education, preventive care, and access to affordable dental services. Some countries offer child dental benefits to ensure that families have access to dental care for their children, which is essential for maintaining good oral health.

It’s worth noting that dental care for children, including routine checkups and treatments, is important, and some countries offer child dental benefits to ensure children have access to affordable care.

(Read the whole story HERE)