First teeth: what time they start cutting, what sequence and how to help the child

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The appearance of the first teeth in a baby is an event that any parents, both inexperienced and those who raised several children, are looking forward to with impatience and fear. No wonder - this is often (though not always) accompanied by crying, sleepless nights and other delights. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to study the issue at least in theory in order to avoid mistakes that are often made by young parents.

When does the first tooth appear?

Of course, the first question parents have is what time the first teeth are cut.

Surprisingly, although a child is born toothless, their rudiments are formed during pregnancy. And by about six to eight months, the first teeth appear. And usually the most "impatient" are the lower central incisors. They hatch at intervals of only a few weeks, and sometimes even days. After that, the child begins to taste everything, including the mother's breast, giving her a lot of unpleasant moments. However, all this is covered in abundance by the joy of motherhood, by those emotions thatexperienced by any normal woman looking at a baby's semi-toothless smile.

However, a date of six to eight months is quite general. Some parents, having learned in what months the first tooth appears, begin to panic if the child does not fit into the schedule or, on the contrary, is ahead of him.

When teeth go out of time

If teeth appeared earlier - it's okay, it happens. But if at eight months the teeth are not even going to peck, this is already an alarming sign. Of course, sometimes they just show up a few weeks late. But sometimes the absence of teeth can be an indicator of the development of rickets or a consequence of malnutrition.

But in general, you should not worry - the teeth will still appear. The main thing is to properly balance the diet and breastfeed the baby more often, if possible.

It is also worth learning more about heredity - if the parents' teeth hatched late, then the child can expect such a fate. It can also be a consequence of the mother's illness during pregnancy. Finally, preterm babies also develop teeth noticeably later.

In general, knowing what time the first teeth appear is only an approximate indicator. The alarm should be sounded only if the child is already a year old, and there is not a single tooth in his mouth.

Main teething symptoms

Knowing what time the first teeth appear in children, parents fearfully wait for this event and yet often miss it. Hownotice the appearance of the first tooth in time?

First of all, you need to monitor the behavior of the child. In the vast majority of cases, it gives very noticeable signals.

For starters, he gets especially whiny these days. Even the calmest child begins to cry or whimper in the evenings until the parents pick him up. However, even many hours of motion sickness does not always achieve the desired result - the child sleeps little and at the same time does not allow others to fall asleep.

In addition, he begins to gnaw on almost everything he can reach - from his favorite toys and pacifier, ending with a crib and fingers of his parents, who are dangerously close to his still toothless mouth.

The temperature rises quite often - up to 37.5 degrees, and in some cases even higher.

Finally, he starts to drool. Moreover, it is very plentiful - all the objects that he gnaws are literally saturated with saliva.

If you notice at least a couple of these symptoms, it's safe to say that very soon your child's mouth will have one or two more teeth.

Teething sequence

Many parents, quite expectedly, are worried not only about what time the child's first tooth appears, but also the sequence of their eruption. Of course, the terms here can vary significantly - up to two or three months. But on average, the order is preserved, and the approximate time of appearance is the same.

So, after the central lower incisors come the central upper ones - they appear at the age of 8-10months. It is at this time that the mother will have the greatest problems with breastfeeding. The child begins to actively bite everything, often leaving bleeding wounds on the nipple. This stage will be a real test that must be steadfastly endured. However, some children at this age almost do not need mother's milk, feeding only occasionally, mainly at night. In this case, such an unpleasant facet of motherhood may not be noticed.

Upper lateral incisors appear next, around 9-12 months.

A break often follows. Only by 11–14 months a pair of teeth appears - the lower lateral incisors.

Fangs will be a serious test. The upper and lower hatch at about the age of 18-22 months, and their order may vary in different children. They are often the most difficult to cut through, causing the child to suffer seriously, and at the same time not to give the slightest rest to the parents.

Upper and lower molars usually hatch at 12-15 months. However, they do not cause any particular problems - the child already endures their appearance, and parents may not even immediately notice this important event.

The second molars appear last on the scene - upper and lower. Their appearance also often goes unnoticed, and this happens already at the age of two years and even later.

By what age should all teeth hatch?

Based on the above, it can be assumed that the last teeth hatch already at the age of two or three years. More precisely, it depends on the heredity of the child,nutrition, past illnesses and a number of other factors.

Knowing what time the first tooth appears, it is easy to calculate how much time it takes for all twenty to erupt. This takes about 2-2.5 years. Of course, a lot of time passes between pecking teeth - from several days to several months. So parents have time to rest and relax to prepare for the next teeth.

Do I need gels?

Today, a variety of gels are being actively advertised, which are designed to alleviate the agony of a child during teething.

However, they should be used very carefully - experienced doctors generally recommend abandoning them in favor of conventional teethers.

This is no coincidence - many gels contain various anesthetic drugs, the regular use of which can lead to serious complications. Increased salivation leads to the fact that relief comes only for a few minutes. After that, the gel is washed off the gums and enters the stomach.

For example, many gels contain a solution of lidocaine. In the last year alone, 22 cases of hospitalization and death of infants due to an overdose of such gels have been recorded in the United States. A very unpleasant statistic, forcing experienced and prudent parents to abandon a very dangerous drug.

Using teethers

Teethers are much safer. You can buy them in almost every pharmacy. They vary in size, shape and color,so that every parent can easily choose the right one. And the cost is low - most often a hundred rubles or a little more. Yes, they do not relieve pain, but only allow you to scratch the gums to give the child at least some relief. But they are completely harmless and allow you to prevent attempts to chew on other, less suitable items.

In addition, many teethers sold in pharmacies are filled with liquid. Putting them in the refrigerator for half an hour can cool the gums and further reduce itching. Perhaps not as effective as anesthetic gels, but certainly will not lead to he alth problems or more unfortunate consequences.

Do not give dangerous items

Knowing what time the first teeth come in, it is very important to make sure that by this time the child will not have foreign objects at hand that are dangerous.

Some parents give their children hard biscuits, apples, carrots, cabbage stalks and other edible items, believing that it certainly won't do any harm. Alas, this is just quite dangerous - the child may well bite off a small piece and choke on it. So, you can give such things only when the child is supervised. And in this case, parents should be very careful.

Conclusion

This is the end of the article. From it you learned what time the first tooth climbs, and what time the next ones. And also learned about different ways to facilitate eruption. Surely this knowledge will be useful to any young andinexperienced parent and avoid the many pitfalls associated with caring for a child.