Baby teeth are used to help a child talk and chew food. Parents may wonder if their children's time frame for growing teeth is normal. It's important to remember that although there is a general time frame for baby teeth development, every child is different. Parents who are concerned about the growth of baby teeth or teething discomfort should speak to a pediatrician.
Process
The entire process of baby teeth growth can take 3 years to complete. The process begins in the womb, when a baby develops tiny tooth buds below his gums. These tooth buds will become baby teeth, also known as milk teeth. The roots of these teeth will dissolve, causing them to fall out, and his permanent teeth will replace them as they fall out.
Timing
Babycenter states that 1 in 2,000 babies are already born with teeth. However, a baby's first tooth usually pops up when she is between 4 and 7 months old. Her two bottom middle teeth, also called the central incisors, will come up first. About 4 to 8 weeks later, her top four middle teeth, also known as the central and lateral incisors, will appear. Four weeks after that, her lower lateral incisors emerge. After that, the teeth buds along the sides and in the back of her mouth will pop up until she has her complete set at around 3 years old. Her baby teeth will start to fall out naturally around 6 years of age until her last baby tooth is gone at around age 12 or 13. The Mayo Clinic states that girls often lose their teeth earlier than boys, and she is likely to lose her teeth in the order they came in.
Discomfort
When a child is teething, his baby teeth are beginning to come up. This may cause discomfort and come with symptoms such as gum sensitivity, drooling, fussiness and sleep problems. He may also be chomping on things in an attempt to relieve pressure from his gums, and he might refuse food if he is too uncomfortable to eat.
Prevention/Solution
To provide relief for a teething child, parents should try offering a teething ring or other safe object for the child to chew on that will relieve the gums. Parents can also keep the skin free from rashes by wiping the baby's face often to prevent drool from causing a rash; they can also rub some petroleum jelly around the baby's mouth before putting the baby to sleep. The petroleum jelly will act as a barrier and prevent drool from irritating the skin on the face. Another option is to use clean hands to massage the baby's gums; children's acetaminophen can also help teething pain.
Care
Kids Health recommends against putting a baby to sleep with a bottle, because the milk or formula can pool around his teeth and cause tooth decay. Parents should keep the baby's teeth clean by wiping them daily with gauze or a wet washcloth. Another option is a soft toothbrush to clean baby teeth when the baby is around 18 months old. When children are old enough to spit out toothpaste, around age 3, parents can use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the brush. Dentists recommend brushing baby teeth twice a day when they all pop up, and parents should remember that children will probably need assistance brushing teeth until around 6 years of age. Family Doctor advises parents to take their children to the dentist by their first birthday.
