The first teeth in babies: signs of eruption

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

One of the most embarrassing memories a parent has from their baby's first year is teething. During this period, many of them had to endure sleepless nights, whims of the child, impaired stool and appetite, fever and other symptoms. The teeth of the baby are cut for a long time and painfully. The task of parents is to help the baby survive this period as easily as possible and avoid possible complications. The main points of teething are described in our article.

When do babies start teething?

This question interests every young mother without exception. Many parents do not know how to expect the appearance of teeth in their baby, so every cry is attributed either to colic in the abdomen or to the beginning of the teething process. But it is worth noting that this question is purely individual and depends on the characteristics of the development of a particular baby. In general, there is a pattern that the first teeth in a baby appear at the age of 6 months.

If by half a year the incisors have not yet erupted, then you should not be upset andlook for reasons why your child is not like all children. Teeth will definitely appear, but a little later. It remains only to be patient and wait. But teething symptoms can appear long before the appearance of the first teeth. Perhaps two or three months will pass before the baby can please you with a real "adult" smile. The first signs of this complex physiological process usually appear at the age of 3-4 months.

How teeth and babies are cut: sequence

The eruption process is natural. Teeth do not appear spontaneously, as they please. In general, the process of how teeth erupt in infants can be represented as the following diagram:

• 6-7 months - central lower incisors;
• 8-9 months - upper central incisors;
• 9-11 months - upper lateral incisors;
• 11-13 months - lower lateral incisors;
• 12-15 months - upper and lower first molars;
• 18-20 months - upper and lower canines;
• 20-30 months - upper and lower second molars.

There is a certain norm, according to which the baby's teeth appear by a certain age. Again, it is conditional and depends on the characteristics of the development of a single child. So, to determine the number of teeth, you need to subtract six from the baby's age in months. For example, if a child is 12 months old, then he should normally have 6 teeth by this age.

It will also be interesting for parents to know that teethappear in pairs. This means that if the first incisor has erupted from below, then the second one will appear after it with an interval of several days. If pairing is broken, this may indicate a congenital anomaly. In this case, you may need to consult a specialist.

The sequence of teething does not always coincide with that followed by pediatricians and dentists. So, the upper teeth in infants can appear much earlier than the central lower incisors. This should not cause concern to parents. This is an individual feature that does not carry anything bad.

Early and late appearance of teeth in a child

In all children, the process of teething starts at different times. Already at the age of one month, the teeth begin to cut inside the gums. But for some, they come out early - at 3 months, and others late - at 10-11 months. What is it about?

Doctors explain early teething in infants by taking vitamin-mineral complexes during pregnancy. But in rare cases, incisors can appear before the age of three months. In these cases, the child is recommended to be examined by an endocrinologist, since such an anomaly may be associated with hormonal developmental disorders.

Causes of late teething may be related to:

• rickets;
• Immunocompromised;
• endocrine diseases;
• unbalanced diet;
• preterm birth;
• dentia (complete absence of milk teeth germs).

If a child has a one-year-oldage, the first tooth did not appear, it must be shown to a specialist in order to exclude congenital pathology.

Signs of teething in a baby

Experienced parents with horror expect the onset of this particular period in the life of the baby. After all, they know firsthand that teething is not asymptomatic. Moreover, different signs of this physiological process appear before the exit of each tooth. But even in the same child, incisors, molars and canines can erupt with different symptoms. The first signs are usually observed 1-2 months before the appearance of the first unit of the dentition.

So, the symptoms of a baby's teeth are as follows:

1. Increased salivation.
2. Disturbed sleep - it becomes intermittent and accompanied by crying.
3. Inflamed and swollen gums. When teething in infants, any touch on the gum causes pain in the child and is accompanied by crying.
4. Lack of appetite.
5. Change in behavior. The child becomes capricious, often asks to be held, refuses to play on his own. He begins to pull various objects and toys into his mouth, combing swollen gums in this way. At this time, the child can be periodically offered various toys, some of which have a cooling effect.
6. Appearance of signs of general intoxication (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea).
7. Rhinitis, fever. Parents very often take these symptoms as the onset of the disease and begin to heavily stuffchild with medicines. The pediatrician will help clarify the situation, who should definitely be called to the house when the temperature rises.

The photo above conveys the process of teething in a baby in the best way.

When to take emergency action?

It is not necessary that one child will show absolutely all the symptoms of teething in infants. One baby may have diarrhea, another will have a fever at the same time, a third will lose his appetite, etc. In any case, during this period, parents should be attentive to the behavior of their child. During teething, immunity becomes weak, and the child is more susceptible to various diseases. The following symptoms are especially dangerous:

1. Cough. During teething, it can be caused by increased salivation. In this case, the cough is rare and usually gets worse when the child is lying down. If it becomes intrusive, lasts more than two days, and prevents the child from sleeping, infection may be suspected.
2. Rhinitis. When teething, nasal discharge should be clear. They usually go away in 3 days. If the discharge becomes thick and turns yellow or green, this may indicate an illness.
3. Rise in temperature. Normally, it should not be higher than 38 °. At the same time, such a temperature is easily knocked down by antipyretics and is not accompanied by a cough,sneezing and runny nose. As a rule, the temperature during teething lasts no more than two days.
4. Diarrhea. Intestinal upset can be caused by increased salivation. Abundant salivation leads to increased intestinal motility. Should not cause concern diarrhea 2-3 times a day. however, more frequent stools are dangerous as they can lead to dehydration.
5. Stomatitis. As a result of weakened immunity, sores and wounds may appear on the mucous membrane inside the mouth.

How to ease the pain of a baby?

Every parent wants to help their child. To do this, he takes all measures to relieve the pain during teething in infants (pictured). The most effective methods include:

1. Special silicone toys filled with gel or liquid inside. They are designed to relieve pain and swelling of the gums. Before giving a toy to a child, put it in the refrigerator for a while. Cold relieves pain, relieves swelling, relieves the baby's condition.
2. Cookies. The child does not eat it, but simply rubs the gum against it, grinding off only a very small amount of the product. At the same time, cookies are definitely not harder than toys and it will not work to injure the gum about it.
3. A bib or a tissue around your neck will help to avoid rashes and skin irritations that usually result from increased salivation.
4. Gels and ointments with anesthetic effect.
5. Gum massage. It is recommended to do it with siliconefingertip. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times a day and lasts no more than a minute, so as not to injure the gums.

Teething gels

Many parents use special medications to alleviate the condition of the child during the period of teething in infants. These include gels that have a local anesthetic effect on the gums. They can be divided into three groups:

1. Gels containing lidocaine. Such drugs provide an instant, but short-term effect. These include: "Dentinoks", "Kalgel",
2. Homeopathic gels based on extracts of medicinal plants. Such drugs are distinguished by a natural composition, providing an anti-inflammatory effect on the gums. But they have one serious drawback - they can cause allergies and irritation in a child. These include: "Baby Doctor", "Pansoral".
3. Gels containing antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agents. Such drugs have a stronger composition and have a lasting effect. These include: "Holisal", "Dentol".

In addition to the above drugs, there are also combined action drugs. Before using this or that gel, you should carefully study the instructions. When using topical preparations, the following recommendations should be used:

• apply them only when the child is very uncomfortable;
• you can use them every 3 hours, but not more than 5 times a day;
• use fortimes a small amount of gel;
• apply with your finger after washing your hands with soap and water.

Are your teeth he althy: cause for concern

After teething, parents expect their baby to have snow-white teeth. But not always their desires coincide with reality. In some cases, the shade of the incisors is far from ideal. Parents should pay special attention to this moment.

The color of the first teeth in babies will tell about the he alth of the baby:

1. The yellowish-brown tint is proof that the mother during pregnancy or the baby took antibiotics during teething.
2. Yellowish-green hue may indicate abnormalities in the structure of the blood. To exclude the disease, you should pass a general analysis.
3. A reddish hue indicates a congenital disorder in the process of porphyrin pigment metabolism.
4. Black color at the base of the tooth may be a signal for the development of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Dr. Komarovsky's opinion on teething in babies

The well-known pediatrician has his own vision of this physiological process. The most difficult thing about teething in babies, in his opinion, is that parents refuse to believe the doctor that he cannot influence this condition in any way.

What Dr. Komarovsky advises:

1. Use only special silicone toys for teething relief, not apples, cookies, bagels or carrots.
2. Violationteething sequences are not a sign of illness.
3. Deviation from the timing of the appearance of the first teeth for 6 months in one direction or another is the norm.
4. There is no way to influence the speed, timing and sequence of teething.
5. Dr. Komarovsky does not recommend massaging the gums to speed up the coming out of the teeth.
6. The pediatrician does not recommend the use of topical gels. In his opinion, anti-inflammatory suppositories that should be used at night have the greatest effect.
7. The first visit to the dentist must occur no later than the age of 1 year. The doctor will be able to tell you how correctly the process of teething and gum formation proceeds, assess the condition of the frenulum of the tongue, etc.

Advice to parents: how to survive teething in a child

First of all, it should be noted that this process is physiological, natural, and it cannot be avoided. Parents should be prepared for the appearance of signs of this condition and try to enter into the position of the baby, ease his pain and not break down on his own child about this. Babies will definitely have teeth when the time comes, and the task of parents is to make this process as easy as possible for the child and the family as a whole.

Parents need to take care in advance to purchase funds that can relieve pain. We are talking about special toys that promote teething. But to buyanesthetic gels or not depends on the personal beliefs of the parents. Pediatricians are advised to abandon them if the child is allergic to herbs and drug components.