Baby teeth are a major concern of parents expecting their first child. This article shall discuss five things you should know about your child’s baby teeth.
1. When does your little one starts teething? : The eruption pattern varies in babies. Some babies are born with a few teeth in their mouth, referred to as neonatal teeth, while others start teething within 4 months. The first tooth can take up to 6 months to erupt. It is mostly a lower central incisor. The rest of the primary teeth usually erupt in a span of 4 years.
Upper Teeth Lower Teeth
Central Incisor 8-12 Months 6-10 Months
Lateral Incisor 9-13 Months 10-16 Months
Canine (Cuspid) 16-22 Months 17-23 Months
First Molar 13-19 Months 14-18 Months
Second Molar 23-31 Months 25-33 Months
If the teeth do not erupt in the timeline mentioned above, it’s called “delayed eruption”. It is important to discuss the impact of delayed eruption on babies. Babies may have trouble chewing, speech disorder and difficulties in forming facial expressions such as smiling. Consult a pediatric dentist in case of delayed tooth eruption.
2. How to soothe your little one’s teething pain? : Teething causes a lot of discomfort in babies. To name a few, sore and red spot on the gum where the tooth is erupting, mild fever of 100.4 °F, chewing on things a lot, disturbed sleep and so on. You can alleviate the pain by gently massaging the gums with a clean finger, dampened washcloth. A bottle filled with water for the baby to suck can soothe the pain. Milk contains lactose, which is a form of sugar. Therefore, extended intake of milk can cause tooth decay. Avoid teething necklaces or bracelets made of amber, wood or silicone as these pose a choking hazard. Giving vegetables to chew on is an effective alternate to soothe pain.
3. How to clean baby teeth? : Maintaining the oral hygiene of children is extremely important. It will not only protect their primary teeth from caries but also encourage the habit of tooth brushing from early on. You can take a washcloth or just your fingers to gently clean the gums. Once the first tooth erupts, soft baby toothbrushes should be used to clean the primary teeth. A smear of toothpaste should be used to brush the teeth twice a day.
4. Why you should use Fluoride? : Fluoridated toothpastes should be used to brush the teeth of two-year-old children. Fluoride is essential for children as it helps to strengthen the teeth and makes teeth resistant to tooth decay. A pea-sized amount of toothpaste should be used for the children aged 3 and until 6 years, by which time the swallowing reflex has developed to avoid ingestion of toothpaste. Ingestion of excessive amount of fluoride while teeth are developing in children can lead to pitting and discoloration of the surface of the teeth, called “dental fluorosis”. Sometimes, kids have superficial caries which can be stopped from progressing by getting a fluoride varnish treatment.
5. How can you save your little one from braces? : There are a lot of baby steps you can take to avoid braces. Sometimes, extraction of a baby tooth is necessary due to a big cavity in the tooth, followed by placement of a space maintainer. A space maintainer will not only ensure an unhindered eruption of the successor permanent tooth but also save the primary tooth from orthodontic treatment in the future. The extended use of plastic nipple of feeder bottles and pacifiers causes the front teeth to become more proclined which disrupts the relationship of the upper and lower teeth. Therefore extended use of pacifiers and milk bottles should be avoided, particularly while sleeping. Similarly, thumb-sucking causes the upper teeth to move forward while the lower teeth moves inwards which causes the malocclusion of the teeth. The sooner you break this habit, the better it will be for your baby’s teeth.