The rudiments of milk teeth are formed long before the baby is born - the process takes some time. It will be many months before the first one erupts. It is logical that parents have questions about when the child will appear and how the teeth grow. Although there are no definite answers, you should know about the most important points of this important period.
Oral care before the first tooth
Pediatricians and dentists are convinced: this is one of the conditions to prevent possible dental problems in the future. In order for the baby’s teeth to grow healthy, care should be taken before they even appear.
After feeding, it is advisable to wipe the gums with a moist piece of gauze - this is a cleansing of the remnants of food, and a light massage.
After a while, the baby’s first teeth will appear - milk. This name was given to them by the ancient doctor Hippocrates.
Time of appearance of temporary teeth
Their appearance is a normal natural process. Ideally, of course, the edge of the tooth will be accidentally noticed while feeding the baby. But this does not always happen.
Perhaps the fang or premolar will appear first when the front tooth of the child is not yet growing. This is a valid version of the norm.
Unreasonable moods, poor sleep and appetite, constant sucking of fingers or toys can become characteristic signs, and the baby’s gums turn red and become slightly inflamed.
When and how do teeth grow in a child
Although there are approximate dates in dentistry, they are all individual. There are various reasons why a child does not grow teeth. This is most often explained by adverse factors. Among them are premature birth, underweight infants, early illnesses, and signs of rickets. Of course, the above reasons can have a negative effect on the children's body.
If the baby is healthy and born on time, but milk teeth are absent at 10-12 months, it is worth asking when they appeared with his parents. This moment is often genetically predetermined.
Thus, the question of when teeth begin to grow in children cannot be answered unambiguously. As practice and research shows, it depends on various factors.
Teething Symptoms
There is a separate sign, and their combination. It is impossible to predict in advance at what age the process will begin in the child, and how the teeth will grow. Nevertheless, there are some symptoms that you should focus on.
- Sensitive and hard gums bother the baby, and he may be more capricious. Very often, pain and discomfort are companions when the first incisor and fangs appear. Perhaps the crumb will be more irritable when each new tooth appears.
- After 3-4 months, you can notice how the baby begins to stuff everything that is in his hands into his mouth. It becomes clear: a child’s teeth grow. How else can he release the tension of the gums? In addition, in some children, the process is especially painful.
- Increased salivation during the day can cause coughing. If there are no other signs and health problems, then there is no need to treat it.
- When the baby constantly scratches the gums, excessive salivation provokes irritation of delicate skin. To prevent it, during the day you need to wipe the baby's mouth with a soft cotton towel.
- The reason that the child rubs his ears and cheeks can also be pain from teething, especially fangs. But this is also a sign of infection in the ear, therefore, having noticed such symptoms, it is worth getting a pediatrician's advice.
- Increased salivation causes swallowing and can lead to diarrhea. You should carefully monitor the cleanliness of toys or other items that the baby holds in his hands. In addition, it is not necessary during this period to start complementary foods or introduce a new type of product into the diet, as well as change the mode of the day.
- Pain during tooth growth can occur both during the day and at night, which means that it becomes the reason why the child wakes up more often than usual. Especially sleep becomes restless and shallow when the first two incisors and fangs appear.
- Often the process of teething in a baby is combined with a deterioration in sleep and appetite, which weaken the baby's immunity. His body becomes susceptible to respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. As a result, parents often notice symptoms of a cold in the crumbs.
The appearance of any of the symptoms described above during teething is not a reason not to contact a pediatrician. This is important to do so as not to miss the possible onset of a disease.
How long does it take for all teeth to appear
This question is also individual for each child. Dentists have a special calendar - a diagram. How children grow teeth, with its help you can find out in detail. According to him, the number of milk units is calculated according to the formula: the age of the child in months is minus 6. Thus, it turns out at 7 months - one, at 8 - two, at 9 - three, etc.
By the end of the first year of life, the child should have 6-8 milk teeth, and by two or three years - 20.
Later, temporary ones are replaced by permanent ones. This starts to happen at about 6-7 years old.
How do children grow teeth? A timeline chart is shown below.
Do not worry if the baby has a different time of appearance of the first “pearls”. It is also possible that the teeth of a child of 6 years old do not grow on schedule (the approximate period when they begin to change), by a certain age, they are more or less. All norms are exemplary, and they are not an indicator of existing health problems.
How to facilitate the appearance of teeth
Gum disease can be removed with homeopathic medicines, a special gel or anesthetic with plant extracts that have an anesthetic effect with a slight cooling effect - the cold will soothe irritation and relieve pain.
There are also physical methods. For example, a gum massage with a finger or gauze moistened with cold water, as well as a nipple and special toys. They can be plastic, silicone or from a special material with a filling that can be cooled and then given to the baby to scratch the gums.
How to feed a child with the appearance of teeth
The answer to this question is directly related to age. From the moment the first tooth appears, it becomes necessary for the child to bite and bite something. If complementary foods have already been introduced, slices of carrots or apples can be given during feeding.
Chewing improves blood circulation in the gums and makes growing teeth stronger and healthier. In addition, the ability to chew is one of the signs of a healthy nervous system.
The nipple can break the bite
Unfortunately, this is likely. Pediatricians and dentists have often heard: "What to do? The child's teeth grow crooked!"
This must not be allowed. Therefore, it is important to remember the rule: after the appearance of the first teeth, try to say goodbye to the pacifier. Otherwise, they can begin to grow forward, which will change the facial features of the baby, because the jaw is actively formed precisely in this period.
In the case when the child is too attached to the nipple and there is no way to refuse it, it is better to use one that has an orthodontic shape. They are made of latex or silicone. Both options are suitable for use, which depends only on the preferences of the baby. The differences are only in the material and this is their feature: latex have a specific aroma, and silicone ones are neutral and resistant to temperature changes.
Do I need to brush milk teeth
Previously it was believed that up to 2-3 years there is no need to do this. The explanation is simple: young children are not able to brush their teeth efficiently.
Today, experts advise you to buy a silicone brush, which is worn on the finger, and a special paste for milk teeth in a pharmacy. With its help, daily it is easy to massage and clean the oral cavity. At the very beginning, you can clean even without additional hygiene products so that the child is used to the process.
Do not use regular paste until the baby learns to thoroughly rinse his mouth.
How to keep a snow-white healthy smile
Each parent wants the child to have beautiful healthy teeth. To do this, you must follow some rules:
- Limit sweet foods, juices, sodas.
- Eat more solid vegetables and fruits, as well as foods rich in calcium.
- Protect teeth from mechanical damage (toothpicks, nuts in the shell, lollipops, etc.)
- Take antibiotics only as needed.
- Observe oral hygiene (use only your own toothbrush, personal spoon, etc.; brush your teeth with suitable toothpaste and floss).
- Visit your dentist to prevent possible problems, and get expert advice on time.
Thus, since milk teeth are more vulnerable, their healthy growth requires not only careful care, but also proper nutrition.
What problems are encountered with permanent teeth?
But not only with dairy are questions related to parents. The most common, for example, is what to do if a child’s teeth grow second row.
The treatment is individual and may be different. As a rule, this comes from the fact that the roots of the temporary teeth did not resolve at the time of their change. Perhaps the reason was the lack or lack of solid food. And since they remain longer in the jaw, the permanent teeth grow in the child's second row.
There is a formula according to which each dairy or permanent unit has its own place. They appear in the right sequence and in due time. But in practice, it often happens that a child has a tooth loss, and a new one does not grow. In this case, you need to be patient, because the indigenous may need more time to grow.
If the constant did not appear for several weeks, it is worth taking an X-ray. It will show the presence or absence of tooth primordia in the holes. The most common reason, however, is that replacing the temporary with the constant does not necessarily take place in the exact sequence, sometimes additional time is required.
So why is there a delay in the appearance of molars? The reasons may be as follows:
- Insufficient load on the jaw. Solid foods cannot be overestimated in children's diets. Apples, carrots and other hard fruits and vegetables should be on the table at any time of the year.
- Lack of calcium in the body. It is imperative to monitor the nutrition of children and the presence in it of foods rich in calcium.
- Jaw injury. After it, you should contact a specialist who will recommend the necessary treatment.
"A child has a crooked permanent tooth!" - This is another frequent complaint from parents. Do not wait in this case. An urgent consultation with an orthodontist is required, as this is not only a cosmetic defect. Asymmetry of the face, poor diction, the inability to properly grind food - these are just part of what brings the wrong bite.
At what age do children change and grow teeth, how many months will the first one appear, what are the symptoms of teething and when to wait for constant ... There are many questions that arise with loving parents! But almost every one of them is a serious reason for additional consultation with a specialist. Do not underestimate dental problems, but it is better to prevent them.