Baby's teething timetable

6 to 12 months	Lower two incisors or front teeth, followed by the upper two incisors or front teeth
9 to 16 months	Two more incisors break through, top and bottom
12 to 18 months	The first back molars emerge
18 to 24 months	The canine teeth start to appear between the molars and incisors, and finally, the second molar teeth break through in the lower and upper back of the mouth

Quick soothers for sore gums

1. Rub your baby's gums or encourage him to bite on suitable biscuits or teething rings.

2. Cool objects relieve inflammation - keep his teething ring in the fridge, offer a piece of frozen bread or let the baby eat cold foods such as apple purée or yogurt from the fridge.

3. Smooth on some pain-relieving teething gel or granules (as your health visitor or pharmacist for advice) or give your baby infant paracetamol.

4. Teething can make your baby grizzly or downright miserable, but be careful not to ignore any signs of possible illness. Teething doesn't cause chestiness, rashes, fever, diarrhoea or convulsions, so if your baby has any of these, consult your GP.

An American study has shown, however, that baby teething is associated with a mild rise in body temperature and some children who were shown to be teething did have some rise in body temperature to 100°F and a facial rash.

Symptoms of teething and illness can be similar, so be careful not to get confused trying to understand what your baby may need. Don't just dismiss symptoms such as nappy rash, diarrhoea or fever as teething.

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