(From dentio, to breed teeth). Also called odontiasis, odontophya. Dentition, or breeding of teeth. Sauvages, in his system of Nosology, makes this a species of odontalgia. Cullen makes dentitio synonymous with odaxismos; but does not admit it as a disease. Hippocrates uses the word principally with respect to the gums, when the teeth are forcing a passage through them; and modern writers follow his example.

Children often suffer much uneasiness from the cutting of their teeth: though teething is not a disease, yet from accident and temperament it sometimes produces the most fatal disorders. The fever and inflammation excited in a full habit may terminate in peripneumony or suffocation; and when the child is fat and plethoric, the most cooling diet and the most active laxatives must be employed.

A troublesome cough is often attendant on teething; in which case a small blister applied to the nape of the neck is of considerable service.. A fresh one may be applied when the first begins no longer to produce any discharge.

Dr. Withers observes, in his Treatise on the Asthma, p. 301, 302, that, "If a child has a disease in his breast, the cutting of a tooth, as it often excites pain, fever, and general irritability, will be found commonly to increase it. But this affords no proof why a cough and shortness of breath, with a pulmonary obstruction in the lungs, should be thought a necessary attendant on teething. According to the best of my observations, it is an indisputable fact, that healthful children cut their teeth without a cough; and when in others a cough attends teething, it is, in general, an accidental circumstance, proceeding from a local complaint in the breast, and is not merely symptomatic of the cutting of a tooth. The violence of the cough, the rising of the phlegm from the lungs, inflammations, pulmonary obstructions, and ulcerations, which have followed, and been proved by dissection, have fully convinced me of the truth of the above assertion. I should not have dwelt at all on this fact, if I had not observed that the notion which I am endeavouring to refute is pernicious to society, and productive of fatal consequences. For when we say that a cough, with shortness of breath, is a common symptom of teething, we unite the two complaints together under one idea; and as we consider teething as natural and necessary, the other, being united with it, and regarded only as an effect, falls in under the same general idea, and consequently is too often supposed to require no particular treatment; by which means it is neglected, and in many instances proves fatal."

When children are vigorous, they cut their teeth earlier; weakly children, particularly those that are disposed to the rickets, are later before their teeth appear.

A discharge of saliva, or a diarrhoea, are favourable symptoms during the time of cutting the teeth. Children attended with these symptoms are rarely affected with convulsions, or any other violent disorder.

Hoffman observes, that the teeth appear sometimes in the seventh month, at others in the ninth, or even the twelfth. In some, this process gives but little uneasiness: in others, it is accompanied with very troublesome symptoms. In difficult dentition the child is preternaturally hot, cries immoderately, starts in his sleep, often applies his hand to his mouth, sucks with eagerness, and even bites the nipple. The gums swell, and look whitish or reddish; the saliva is copiously discharged, and often hangs viscid from the mouth; the belly either costive or too loose. Sometimes acute fevers, convulsive and epileptic paroxysms, distortions of the jaws, and other violent symptoms are joined, different in different subjects, according to the difficulty of the eruption of the teeth, or the sensibility of the child. Amongst the prognostics, he says, that those who are plethoric, sleepy, costive, those affected in dentition with a cough, who are of great sensibility, or an hereditary passionate disposition, have the most to fear. Hippocrates observes, that those who are attacked by the acute fever escape convulsions, and that the teething is easiest in winter. The principal indications of cure are, to abate the pain and inflammation, and to soften and relax the gums. If the body be not naturally lax, it should be kept so. A spontaneous looseness is salutary, and should not be checked; for convulsions and other threatening symptoms will then probably follow.

Breeding the teeth commonly begins about the third or fourth month: it may be known by a copious discharge of saliva taking place; its being pleased with having its gums rubbed with a finger, or other harder substance; its becoming more fretful and uneasy, starting in its sleep, or suddenly awaking. If now there are also great heat, thirst, fever, a dulness and drowsiness, particular attention should be paid to keep the bowels lax, if they are not already so; if a looseness at this time attends, though it is somewhat severe, it should not be checked. The griping, which occasionally accompanies this looseness, is generally abated by the use of a little magnesia, or prepared chalk. When the drowsiness, starting, and feverishness come on, bleeding with leeches will be singularly useful. Two leeches may be applied to the neck every or every other day, until these symptoms abate. During the thirst, if children crave sweetened drinks, liquorice may be boiled in the water which is given, as it does not increase this troublesome symptom. After the bleeding, blisters behind the ears, or on the back, are not to be omitted. The antimonial emetics should be repeated occasionally until the fever is removed; and, in many cases, the sp. cornu cervi, recommended by Sydenham, is useful. Should convulsions come on, the above treatment will be also well adapted to relieve. A discreet use of anodynes is an important addition in this instance; and, in general, after free evacuations they may be given by the mouth, or in an enema. The second stage, or period of teething, is that of cutting the teeth. This usually begins about the seventh or ninth month: in this the symptoms or management are, in general, the same as those of the first period. A child, however, who a little before was pleased with having his gums rubbed, will now seldom suffer any thing to touch them; for when a tooth is penetrating the gum, it is exceedingly sensible of pain from the slightest touch. It may be known that a tooth is near cutting, when the gum in one particular part appears fuller and more distended than usual; the gum in that part looks red, and is inflamed at the bottom or base, but is paler or whiter at its point or edge; and when the tooth is very near, the edge of the gum seems as if it was covered with a flat white blister, appearing also thicker and broader than the edges of the gums in other places: at this, but at no other period, if any alarming symptoms come on, cutting the gum over the edge of the approaching tooth, will be a speedy and often an effectual means of relief. If cut earlier, though the symptoms abate, the tooth will not appear for some days, or perhaps weeks. Sometimes the gum heals, and the former uneasy symptoms return; and it has been necessary to repeat the operation frequently; a severity which, though the wounded gum should not unite with a hard cicatrix, is to be discouraged. It is, however, by no means certain, that the subsequent operations are not more painful, and that the appearance of the tooth is not retarded; that repeated cutting the gum renders it harder; for the contrary is said to take place; on which see J. Hunter's Practical Treatise on the Diseases of the Teeth, p. 121. Bell's Surgery, vol. iv. p. 191. White's Surgery, p. 280, etc.