Teething is when your little one starts growing new teeth in their mouth. It can happen when they are as young as 6 months old, or as old as 2 years old. It’s a normal part of growing up and every baby goes through it.

When your baby is teething, they might feel a little bit uncomfortable or even a little bit grumpy. This is because the new teeth are pushing through their gums and it can hurt a little bit. You might notice that your baby is drooling more than usual, or that they are putting their fingers or toys in their mouth a lot. These are all normal signs of teething.

To help your baby feel better, you can give them something cold to chew on. You can freeze a clean washcloth or a teething ring and give it to them to chew on. The cold will help numb the gums a little bit and make them feel better. You can also give your baby something soft to chew on, like a piece of banana or a piece of apple.

Another thing you can do to help your baby with teething is to gently rub their gums with a clean finger. This will help to massage the gums and make them feel better.

When your baby starts getting new teeth, it’s important to start taking care of them right away. You can start brushing your baby’s teeth with a small toothbrush and a tiny bit of toothpaste. You should do this twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. It’s also important to take your baby to the dentist when they are 6 months old so that the dentist can check on their teeth and make sure they are growing in correctly.

It’s also important to watch what your baby is eating when they are teething. You want to make sure they are eating healthy foods that will help their teeth grow strong and healthy. Foods like fruits and vegetables, cheese, and yogurt are good choices. You should also avoid giving your baby sugary foods and drinks, like candy and juice, because these can cause cavities.

Teething can be a difficult time for both babies and parents, but with a little bit of patience and care, you can help your little one feel better and have healthy teeth. Remember to give your baby something cold to chew on, gently rub their gums, and start taking care of their teeth right away. And don’t forget to take them to the dentist for regular check-ups. With these tips, your baby will have a healthy smile in no time!

Timing of teething can characterize both the biological and the passport age of the toddler. The process and timing of dentition depends not only on the inherited genetic parameters, that is, how they erupted in Mom and Dad, and even in their ancestors in the seventh generation. But the timing of teething can be influenced by external and internal factors. For example: climatic conditions, the nature of nutrition, the quality of drinking water and others. In this regard, in different regions the timing of eruption of permanent teeth fluctuate. The hotter the climate. That usually the teeth erupt before. Although this is also not an axiom.

[su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]Milk teeth usually begin to erupt in 6-8 months[/su_highlight]. His first birthday year-old baby, as a rule, celebrates, having in his mouth four upper and lower incisors. By the age of two, first molar molars and fangs erupt. The second molar molars appear six months later. The full formation of the dairy dentition usually ends in three years. All in all, by the age of three, the child has to grow all 20 milk teeth.

What to do if by 9 months your child has not cut through a single tooth?

First of all, do not worry early. The dentists consider it quite natural to delay the eruption of temporary teeth within 6 months. In this case, boys tend to erupt their teeth later than girls.

Begin by carefully examining the toddler’s gums: it is very likely that they look swollen and reddened, or, on the contrary, the gum is thin and pale, and underneath it is probed and even the tooth can be seen. In order to speed up teething, buy special ring toys – stimulators of teething. Useful and easy massage of the gums with a clean finger or a cold teaspoon. Pressure on the gum facilitates and accelerates teething, and cold reduces discomfort.

Violation of the timing of teething can be caused by a general growth retardation against a background of a number of diseases of the toddler, primarily in rickets. Ask your pediatrician: perhaps your baby needs vitamins or calcium supplements to maintain normal mineral metabolism.

In rare cases, toddlers have an adentia – the absence of teeth rudiments. So if the baby is already over a year old, and his teeth have not yet begun to erupt, it is worth asking for a consultation with a dentist. Check the presence of dental germs with an X-ray. X-ray irradiation can be unsafe for the child’s body, so this study should be carried out only if necessary and at the doctor’s prescription. Today, there is an opportunity to reduce the harmful effect of X-rays, if you take a picture using a radiovisiograph. Such equipment is usually available in every modernly equipped dental clinic.

Symptoms of teething in Toddler

How to determine that the child has already cut the first tooth?

Symptoms of eruption of the first teeth in a child are reddened, inflamed gums, burning cheeks and, perhaps, a swollen white ball, from which the tooth is about to appear. True, he can make himself wait. Before being outside, the tooth must first pass through the bone tissue that surrounds it, and then through the mucous membrane of the gum. [su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]Is it necessary to somehow help the eruption of the tooth? [/su_highlight]Do not interfere with the natural course of events, because nature has provided that the teeth of children are born on their own, without special efforts from outside and additional devices. Do not irritate the toddler’s gums by scratching them with a piece of sugar or a spoon handle, as they did before. So you can damage tender baby teeth and put the infection in the jaw bone. Be careful with bread, bread crusts, bagels:

At the person during a life there is a change of 20 teeth one time, and the remaining 8-12 teeth do not change, they cut through initially constant (radical).

Teething

The first (medial) lower incisors – 6-9 months.
The first (medial) upper incisors – 7-10 months.
The second (lateral) upper incisors – 9-12 months.
The second (lateral) lower incisors – 9-12 months.
The first upper molars are 12-18 months old.
The first lower molars are 13-19 months old.
Upper canines – 16-20 months.
Lower fangs – 17-22 months.
The second lower molars are 20-33 months old.
The second upper molars are 24-36 months old.

These tables are approximate. According to statistics, the first tooth in modern babies appears on average only in 8 and a half months. Thus, the timing of the eruption of the remaining teeth is shifted. Dentists believe that the later the first tooth was cut, the later the dentition will drop out and this is undoubtedly good. However, before the year the baby should still have at least one tooth, otherwise one should look for the causes in any diseases, for example, in rickets. The first tooth can go in pairs, so is the case with subsequent teeth. It happens that the crumbs immediately go to 4 teeth. Naturally, such a “massive” growth of teeth affects the timing of eruption. Uncertainly, the situation with the order of the appearance of teeth, you can not influence this, so “do not worry in vain” because everything goes as planned by nature.

Up to three years, the toddler is pricked by all the milk teeth, which by the age of 5 start to be gradually replaced by permanent teeth.

Total milk teeth 20: 4 incisors (4 central teeth), 2 canines (third from the center or “eye”) and 4 molars (fourth and fifth from the center “chewing” teeth) are located on each jaw.
An adult has 28-32 permanent teeth: 4 jaws, 2 canines, 4 premolars and 4-6 molars are located on each jaw. The development of the third molar (“wisdom tooth”) may not occur at all, with the congenital adentia of the third molars, which is also considered the norm. Another situation is possible: the tooth of “wisdom” is laid in the thickness of the jaw, but it never erupts because of an incorrect position or lack of space in the jaw. This situation is very common.

After the eruption of all milk teeth between them, there are no tremors (crevices, gaps), which is the norm. But with the growth of the jaw before the change of milk teeth on permanent should appear the gaps between the milk teeth. This process is necessary, since the [su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]permanent teeth are larger in size than the milk ones and if gaps are not formed, the permanent teeth do not fit into the jaws and the child receives “curved” permanent teeth. [/su_highlight]
In parallel with the formation of gaps between temporary teeth, there is a “resorption” of the roots of the milk teeth, after which the teeth alternately loosen and fall out. Now there is even a fashion to buy a box of gold or silver to store the first teeth.

There is no general opinion about the normal timing of dentition, as the scientific studies of different authors were conducted in different regions and in different years of the past and our century.
If it hurts …

[su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]Teething can be accompanied by increased excitability: the child becomes restless, moody, often waking up at night with tears, may refuse to eat.[/su_highlight] At the same time, the kid drags any object into his mouth, as chewing reduces itching of irritated gums. Sharply increased secretion of saliva, which, emerging from the mouth, can cause skin irritation. Often on the cheek from the erupting tooth appears a limited area of ​​redness or rash. The temperature at the child can rise up to subfebrile values ​​(within 37,8 °). However, fever does not necessarily accompany teething.

[su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]Against the background of teething can develop this or that infection. Therefore, if the child has symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, earache, diarrhea, cough, rash, persistent loss of appetite or fever, you should consult your doctor.[/su_highlight]

What means soften the pain? The simplest is cold. Coldness relieves pain and reduces swelling. If this does not help, you can use a dental gel or ointment containing anti-inflammatory and anesthetic agents to lubricate the gums. If necessary, you can give the child an anesthetic drug. Use any medication should only be prescribed by a doctor.
Here are the frequent questions that anxious moms ask.

 

 

What should I do if my teeth break at the wrong time?

To do nothing. There is no clear concept of “late erupted”, or rather “the timing of teething” is a relative common time, rather than strict data. These terms are determined by average values ​​and depend on neonatal (as passed birth) indicators, physical constitution, individual characteristics of the baby, etc. So, no matter what time period the teeth are cut, this is the time limit for this child. By the way, the same applies to the eruption of permanent teeth and wisdom teeth. Only in rare cases of explicit pathology, the timing of eruption can indeed be abnormal.

The later your teeth break through – so they are healthier? Unfortunately, this is not so – the timing of dentition and their “quality” are not connected in any way.

What calming drugs can I use in children with teething?

Do these drugs affect the eruption process? No, these drugs do not affect the eruption process in any way. They all underwent clinical approbation and naturally have no side effects. The only restriction is allergic children, but for them there is a calming remedy – Dr. Baby. Almost all such gels contain lidocaine and inert fillers (menthol for cooling, flavoring and astringents). I can advise the following drugs:

Dentinox
Calgel – it is sweet, you should not use it for diathesis.
The kamistad is very effective, but it should be applied moderately.
Mundizal
Holyisal
“Solcoseryl” dental paste (for external use, do not mix) is especially effective if there are bleeding wounds or painful sores.
Dr. Babie – with allergies to lidocaine

How often can you apply soothing gels?

Soothing gels do not need to be applied to a particular regimen (such as antibiotics). It hurts – you smear, it does not hurt – you do not smear. But especially do not get carried away, more 3-4 times a day and do not use more than 3 days in a row.

How to speed up teething?

Medically in any way. A proven method for years is soft gum massage. With a clean finger, gently massage the gum and the baby will feel better, and the tooth will erupt a little faster. Just do not press hard, do not hurt. Usually give the child a cold spoon to suck, but you can still hold a little pacifier in the refrigerator and give the baby. There are special teethers with a cooling liquid. You put it in the refrigerator. Then give the child to chew. But do not overdo it.

Can there be a smell from the mouth when teeth are erupted and why is it related?

When teething, the mucosa partially decomposes (lysis). An active role in this play enzymes of saliva. As you know, the amount of saliva with teething increases. This is connected with the process of lysis. In this case, the viscosity, color and smell of saliva can really change. In addition, saliva contains weak antibacterial substances that prevent infection of the wound that forms when the tooth is erupted. Their active influence can also change the normal properties of saliva. Even in the oral cavity gets a certain amount of blood, the decomposition of which can also occur sourish (metalic) odor.

What should I do if the temperature rises sharply during

teething?

In principle, a slight increase in temperature with teething is normal. But it will not be 39-40. With eruption, this does not happen.
Attention: teething should not cause severe heat, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, cramps and suffocation. If these symptoms occur, even if it seems to you that they are associated with the teeth, consult a doctor. Also, it is not recommended to give the child an antipyretic and anesthetic (syrup, candles) without consulting a doctor and at a body temperature below 38.5 ° C.

How do children distinguish between a rise in temperature during teething from a rise in temperature for some other reason? How long does it take to keep a fever with teething?

All individually, but mostly hyperthermia and diarrhea are only secondary signs of teething. For a very small organism, this is a serious physiological fracture. Now most pediatricians and physiologists admit that a fever with teething is probably a reaction to inflammation of the oral mucosa. At the exit of the teeth, irrigation is formed, often a wound (from friction and due to lysis), not infrequently the wound becomes infected. So hyperthermia is caused not by the mechanism of tooth formation, but by side effects. One of the arguments in favor of this opinion is that with the eruption of permanent teeth,

The emergence of symptoms of colds and diarrhea due to a dramatic change in diet and diet, permanent foreign objects in the mouth and a violation of microflora, as well as weakening local immunity in the nasopharynx.
Hence, it can be concluded that if the fever and liquid stool last too long (more than 72 hours), then the reason is likely not really in teething.

Possible features of teeth in children during the teething stage:

widening of the spaces between the teeth. It can reflect the increased growth of the jaws and in the transition period from milk teeth to permanent it is regarded as a normal condition. A wide gap between the anterior incisors on the upper jaw is usually associated with a deep frenum of the upper jaw. The tactician for observing and treating a wide gap between the teeth is determined by an orthodontist.

Blackish edging on the neck of the tooth can be with the use of soluble iron preparations or a chronic inflammatory process (sedimentation of bacteria of the leptotrichia group);

Yellowish-brown staining of teeth is more often associated with the use of antibiotics by the mother in the second half of pregnancy or by a child during the formation of teeth.

Yellowish-greenish staining develops with severe disorders of bilirubin metabolism and hemolytic (destruction of erythrocytes) states;

Reddish staining of the enamel of the teeth is characteristic of the congenital malformation of the pigment-porphyrin exchange. This disease is called porphyria;

Anomalies of the occlusion arise from the uneven growth of the jaws, due to the prolonged sucking of the nipple;
Anomalies of the location of the teeth arise due to constitutional reasons (small jaw size), due to injuries, with congenital disturbance of connective tissue exchange, with tumors of the alveolar process of the jaw.

[su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]Absence of teeth up to 1 year is extremely rarely associated with adentia[/su_highlight] – the absence of their rudiments. To check the presence of dental germs, you can use a special method of radiovisiography to prescribe a pediatric dentist.
Atypical situations.

Timely, in a certain sequence, the growth of teeth indicates the normal development of the baby’s body. This is a physiological process and it is in direct connection with the overall health of the child. But we will consider some atypical situations, which can indirectly speak about the presence of pathology. However, only indirectly. Once again, we note that only a thorough investigation can confirm or disprove these assumptions.

1) DelayThe duration of eruption (longer than 1-2 months from the norm) may be the result of rickets, an infectious disease, prolonged bowel dysfunction and changes in metabolism.
2) Earlier teething (before 1-2 months before the norm) – may indicate endocrine disorders.
3) Violation of the order , the absence of a tooth may also be the result of some anomalies in the health of the child (there are isolated cases when there are no even rudiments of the teeth) or be a consequence of the mother’s diseases during pregnancy.
4) Teething of the tooth outside the arch of the tooth row can be caused by an incorrect position of the tooth axis (horizontal or oblique).
5) Wrongthe formation of the tooth itself – size, shape, position, color, lack of enamel coating, etc. The causes of these phenomena should be analyzed by a specialist.
6) The appearance of teeth before birth . Such situations are extremely rare. Such teeth prevent the baby from sucking the mother’s breast, usually they are removed.
Here are some things that are worth remembering at the eruption of milk teeth:

Regularly rub the face of the baby with a special towel to remove saliva and prevent irritation on the skin, it is better not to rub and gently salivate the saliva so as not to cause irritation around the mouth.
Place a clean, flat tissue under the baby’s head to absorb the flowing saliva. When the napkin gets wet, you do not have to re-lay the sheet.

Give the child something to chew on. Make sure that this is a big enough thing, so that the child will not swallow it and gnaw it into small pieces. Wet terry towel placed in the freezer for 30 minutes can be a good solution, just do not forget to wash it after each use. Special rings for eruption, which are sold in pharmacies, are also effective. If you use rings, do not freeze them in the freezer to the condition of the stone, so as not to damage the weak gums. Never tie the ring to the neck to the child so that it does not get tangled in the ribbon. Gently massage the baby’s gums with a clean finger.

[su_highlight background=”#ffcb99″]Do not put aspirin or other tablets on your teeth, do not rub alcohol-containing solutions into the gums. If your child is not feeling well, paracetamol can help in the infant’s dosage. BUT BEFORE TOTALLY CONSULT THE DOCTOR![/su_highlight]

When the teeth appeared, they need to start taking care of them.

For a child up to 1-1.5 years old, you can brush your teeth once a day with a special soft plastic brush (put on your mother’s finger). In this case, it is convenient to put the baby on his knees, his back to himself. The older baby can buy the first child’s toothbrush of convenient size, with strong bristles. At this age, children are happy to imitate adults, and the ritual of morning and evening brushing of teeth is fixed easily. It is clear that the baby is still playing tooth cleaning, and cleans them while your mother – it is most convenient to stand behind the baby in front of the mirror. Since two years, you can teach your baby to rinse his mouth with water (it’s good to do this every time after eating) and use baby toothpaste. You may have to try several pasta pastes before the new taste suits the baby.

A[su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]mong other measures for the prevention of dental caries (milk teeth are more fragile than permanent ones and are affected in a shorter time!) – control the amount of sweets in the baby’s diet and the lack of sweet drink (juices, sweet water) at night and at night.[/su_highlight]

The first time to show the child a dentist needs a year. However, if something disturbs you – the broken order of teething, darkening of the tooth, the presence of stains on it, bad smell from the mouth, – contact a doctor as soon as possible. The health of the baby teeth is the key to the proper formation and health of the permanent.

How to prevent tooth decay

1. Do not lick the pacifier and do not try the baby’s spoon with a baby’s spoon. So you protect the baby’s mouth from the bacteria that are contained in the saliva of an adult.
2. If possible, reduce the sugar content in a child’s diet. Offer water or natural juice instead of sweetened drinks and never give a sweet drink as a soporific at night.
3. Accustom a one-year-old baby after a meal to drink a few sips of water, and after two years – rinse your mouth after eating.
4. Regularly bring the child to the examination to the dentist. The first time it can be done in two years. If problems have occurred before, do not delay the trip to the doctor. Check the teeth of the child at least once every six months.
5. Try to prevent tooth injuries. With damaged enamel, they are destroyed more quickly.
Use a healthy menu to strengthen teeth crumbs. Include in the daily diet of the child 10 – 20 grams of hard cheese, several spoons of sea kale, 5 – 6 pieces of raisins, 1 – 2 dried apricots, green and black tea (rich in fluoride).
6. The child should brush his teeth after each meal or at least twice a day, including always before bedtime.

Teeth erupted? It’s time to clean

Immediately after eruption, the child’s teeth are exposed to aggressive external influences. Germs settle on the teeth, forming a film of plaque. Acids are actively produced in dental plaque. Under their influence, the enamel of the baby teeth is easily destroyed, and a carious cavity is formed.

The production of acid is particularly active in the presence of sugar. Therefore, the cause of caries in the first years of life often becomes an early transition to artificial feeding, especially if the child sucks for a long time the sweet milk mixture or juices from the horn.

Start regular care of the oral cavity before the teething. With a moistened hygienic napkin, clad on a clean finger, gently rub the mucous membrane of the cheeks and gums. Recently cut incisors at first also wipe with a napkin.

In the second year of life it’s time to start using the toothbrush. Today on sale there are special toothbrushes – they are small and have a particularly soft bristle. I can, for example, advise the brush “My first Colgate”. Funny bright toys that decorate the handle of this brush, will form a positive attitude to the child’s teeth cleaning.

[su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]Up to two years, we recommend that parents clean the baby’s teeth with a damp toothbrush[/su_highlight]. Since two years you can start using toothpaste. It is best if it is a paste containing fluoride. It should be remembered, however, that a small child is prone to ingesting toothpaste during cleaning, so up to 6 years it is better to use baby toothpastes with a lower content of fluoride. For a single cleaning it is enough to use a small amount of fluoride toothpaste – the size of a pea.

[su_highlight background=”#e1ff99″]The risk of early development of caries is increased with insufficient fluoride content in drinking water. [/su_highlight]This situation takes place, for example, in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Children between 2 and 14 years of age need compensation for the daily intake of fluoride into the body. The recommended daily intake of sodium fluoride in the form of tablets or drops should be determined for your child by a pediatrician or a children’s dentist.