Teeth are bone formations, 80% consisting of dentin (hard inorganic tissue). The upper part of the dentin is covered with a dental crown, and the neck of the tooth and its root are surrounded by cement - hard fibers necessary to fix the tooth in the bone alveolus. A person needs teeth for grinding, grinding and chewing food, for the proper formation of the maxillofacial apparatus, consisting of bone tissue and muscles, as well as for speech function. In total, a person has 32 teeth, 4 of which are wisdom teeth and erupt in adulthood or do not appear at all.
Baby teeth begin to emerge through the soft layers of gums between 4 and 7 months of age. This process is quite painful and may be accompanied by inflammation, swelling and other symptoms. In some cases, it may be necessary to use painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs and medications for symptomatic therapy, so it is better to purchase everything you need in advance. You can understand that a child will soon have his first tooth by the characteristic signs that appear in 90% of babies in the first year of life.
Development of teeth before eruption
The health of your baby’s teeth needs to be taken care of long before they erupt. It is useful for expectant mothers to know that the rudiments of baby teeth are formed already at the 7-8th week of intrauterine development, and permanent ones - at the end of 4 months. Not only the timing of teething, but even the level of mineralization of the enamel of both milk and molars depends on how pregnancy proceeds. Therefore, it is so critical that a woman receives all the vitamins and microelements and is as healthy as possible.
But it’s not just nutrition that’s important. Research results have shown that in the presence of industrial harmful substances in the environment of the expectant mother during pregnancy and numerous stressful situations, the formation of all dental tissues in the child is disrupted and the timing of the appearance of baby teeth is shifted. Among children born to women with high blood pressure, late eruption of primary teeth was observed in 56.7%. In approximately a third of the examined children born to mothers with heart defects, late eruption of primary teeth was detected, as well as deviations in the pairing and sequence of their eruption. The length of pregnancy also plays a role. There is a pronounced dependence of the timing of the eruption of the first teeth on the degree of prematurity: the earlier the baby is born, the later the first teeth erupt [1, 2].
Signs of the appearance of the first teeth
It happens that the growth of units is not accompanied by pain. True, this rarely happens. Many children do not tolerate the birth of chewing organs well, especially when they are not fed rationally. After all, their body does not receive enough useful microelements and vitamins, which complicates growth. Sometimes it happens that the rudiments are cut with carious lesions due to a deficiency of calcium, phosphorus, fluorine, potassium, and magnesium. What is the behavior of a child when teething?
- There is swelling, swelling of the gum tissue, mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, and difficulty breathing. The gums begin to hurt.
- Saliva production increases significantly.
- The child begins to become capricious.
- He loses his appetite and refuses to eat.
- Due to itching, his fingers are constantly in his mouth.
- The temperature rises slightly for 1-2 days.
- Diarrhea may begin, bowel movements become watery, but not too frequent. This condition usually lasts from 1 to 3 days.
- Sometimes there is a mild runny nose with clear, runny mucus. Duration – 2-3 days.
In addition, a symptom such as a wet cough that occurs in a horizontal position and lasts no more than 3 days may appear. There may even be a slight reddening of the throat, as there is increased blood flow in the gums. During this period, the future tooth is visible under the mucous tissues. The main thing for parents is not to miss the moment when serious diseases can form. If in doubt, you should consult a doctor.
Why are baby teeth needed?
Nature has designed the correct order and timing of teething in children. Evolutionarily, this is due to the need to form the bite and jaw bones for chewing and speech. Over the years, the bones grow, and baby teeth, which at the beginning of their appearance were tightly adjacent to each other, diverge by the age of 6-7 years, forming wide interdental spaces that are natural for this period - tremata and diastemas.
There are only 20 teeth in the primary dentition. This is explained by the fact that they must be correctly placed in the small child’s jaw in the first years of the baby’s life, and eliminates the crowding of teeth that provokes dental diseases. The last of the baby teeth are replaced at the age of 10-12 years. However, they are very important for the physiological formation of the jaw bones and the permanent bite.
Proper growth and health of baby teeth helps:
- rebuild the body from lactophoric to mixed type of nutrition;
- reserve space for the normal location of future molars;
- form a mixed bite.
There is a misconception that if baby teeth become infected with caries, they can not be treated, but can be removed immediately. But modern dentists are against such tactics. Early removal is fraught with displacement of adjacent baby teeth and the appearance of problems with an adult bite. Therefore, it is so important to maintain the presence and health of all baby teeth until the permanent teeth erupt on their own [3].
When should you worry if your child’s teeth are not cutting?
The average age for teething to begin is about six months. The appearance of teeth before six months is considered early. If a baby has no teeth before 13 months, this is considered a delay.
Don't worry if teething is delayed; it varies from one child to another. As long as your baby's hair, skin and bones are in good condition, there is nothing to worry about. Delayed teething does not indicate any problem in the overall development of the child.
The appearance of teeth may be delayed due to:
- hereditary factor;
- poor nutrition;
- hypothyroidism (thyroid disease);
- premature birth.
However, if you believe that there is no hereditary cause and the child is receiving adequate nutrition and teeth are not appearing, then you should consult a doctor. But first, pay attention to the signs that will tell you when a tooth might appear.
Timing of baby teeth eruption
Teething is a genetically programmed event that occurs at a certain period.
Physiological teething is characterized by three main features: certain timing, pairing and sequence of eruption “Characteristics of exogenous and endogenous factors influencing the eruption of primary teeth in children” Dr. med. Galaktionova M. Yu.
Children's baby teething rates vary depending on their ethnicity. But as research shows, in general, in the world there is a reduction in the time from birth to the moment when the first tooth appears. This is due, according to most researchers, to the global acceleration of human development [1]. How and when baby teeth erupt is one of the indicators of a child’s physical development.
The reasons for violation of the order and timing of teething in children can be:
- heredity;
- climatic conditions;
- nature of feeding;
- some diseases, for example, rickets.
The standards for the eruption of primary teeth according to the American Dental Association are presented in the table.
| Baby teeth | Upper jaw eruption / month. | Lower jaw eruption / month. |
| Central incisor | 8-12 | 6-10 |
| Lateral incisor | 9-13 | 10-16 |
| Fang | 16-22 | 17-23 |
| First molar | 13-19 | 14-18 |
| Second molar | 25-33 | 23-31 |
The indicated periods are average indicators, varying depending on individual and family characteristics [4,5]. But the sequence of appearance of teeth is significant, and it is better to track and record it. From a physiological point of view, the correct order of eruption of baby teeth in children is important for the formation of occlusion .
Helping your baby with teething
The appearance of baby teeth is not an easy process not only for the children themselves, but also for their parents. The most common symptoms of teething:
- swelling and redness of the gums;
- increased salivation;
- itching and desire to keep hands and toys in the mouth;
- child's capriciousness;
- sleep disturbance;
- refusal to breastfeed, bottle or complementary foods;
- temperature increase;
- bowel disorders;
- runny nose.
The following will help you get through this period as comfortably as possible:
- special teething rings that relieve itching, especially with a cooling effect;
- dental gels with local anesthetic effect;
- antipyretic and painkillers;
light massage with a silicone fingertip, which will bring relief and calm the baby [6]
The first "bells"
The first signs of rapid teething are quite vague, but after observing the child for several days, you can notice changes in his well-being and behavior. Most babies begin to act restless, wake up more often at night, and eat less milk or formula about 4 weeks before the central incisors (these teeth appear first in children) erupt.
During this period, behavioral changes can be noted, listed in the table below.
Table. Changes in behavior during teething.
| Action | Why does the child behave this way? |
| This is explained by severe itching in the place where the tooth should appear: the top of the tooth rests on the gum, trying to break through the mucous tissue, and injures it, causing severe irritation. | |
| Such behavioral changes are especially pronounced in breastfed children due to stronger emotional contact with their mother. For an infant, the breast is not only a source of food, but also a means of comfort, therefore, when experiencing pain and discomfort, the child instinctively looks for an object that he associates with positive emotions. For bottle-fed babies or mixed-fed babies, this item can be a bottle of milk or a pacifier. | |
| The explanation for the temporary refusal of foods introduced into the children's diet is due to physical discomfort and unpleasant sensations when the gums touch a spoon or other cutlery. If you give your child a raw apple or carrot during this period, most likely he will try to chew them with pleasure, since such movements provide gum massage and help soothe pain. This method must be used strictly under adult supervision due to the risk of accidental inhalation of small pieces! |
Changes during this period also affect children's sleep. Most babies fall asleep well, but begin to wake up frequently at night to breastfeed. It is impossible to fight this phenomenon - sleep returns to normal after the eruption of the frontal incisors and canines, which are the most painful. To relieve pain, you can use special gels with analgesic properties, for example, “Kamistad Baby” or “Kalgel”. They will also help reduce inflammation caused by trauma to the gums from the sharp tip of an erupting tooth.
Important! If during a night's sleep a child wakes up too often, cannot fall asleep for a long time, and each rise is accompanied by a bout of severe crying, it is necessary to consult a doctor to rule out pathologies of the digestive system and other internal organs.
Caring for baby teeth
As soon as your first tooth comes through, don’t put off going to the dentist. Make a schedule of visits (at least once every 3-4 months). And after the first birthday, it is advisable to also see an orthodontist. If there are no problems, visits to him should be repeated once a year [7,8]
It is important to provide proper care at home.
- An ultra-soft toothbrush with a small head is suitable for baby teeth
- Children's mouth rinses are used from about 4 years of age or from the time the child learns to spit out liquid.
- Parents should supervise the brushing of preschool children's teeth and, if necessary, help and finish cleaning missed areas.
- Adults need to teach their child to rinse their mouth after eating from a very early age.
- Until the child has learned to spit on his own, toothpaste should not contain fluoride.
- A timer in the bathroom or a favorite song helps you keep your teeth brushing to 2 minutes.
- Solid food should be included in the diet daily in sufficient quantities to properly form the bite and stimulate the gums.
These simple recommendations help maintain the health of baby teeth from the very beginning until their natural replacement with permanent ones.
How to help your baby during this period
The time of birth of milk rudiments is an important period in the life of a newborn. Since it is accompanied by difficulties and pain, every parent should pay more attention to their child, take care of him, and calm the crybaby. If a child has severe gum inflammation, it should be shown to a doctor. Care and affection will help compensate for the baby's discomfort. You shouldn’t start weaning your baby these days, because it’s additional stress for him. It is better to distract the child from difficulties by keeping him busy with an interesting game, which causes a positive mood. And:
- Unpleasant sensations in the mouth are alleviated by special rings, rubber elastic toys that the child chews, thereby scratching the gums.
- Chewing a bagel or bread crust relieves itching.
- You can use gels such as Kamistad, Kalgel, Cholisal, which must be prescribed by a doctor. Applying and rubbing drugs into mucous tissues will eliminate pain. The medicine contains antiseptics and analgesics. The drug has a calming effect.
- Saliva flowing from the mouth should be blotted with a soft cloth to prevent irritation of delicate skin.
- Dentists recommend using local anesthetics such as Dentol. The basis of the drug is benzocaine.
- Tablets of Ibuprofen, Paracetamol or baby suppositories and syrups may be prescribed.
- The child's condition will be eased by a gentle massage of the gum tissue. It is performed with a finger dressed in a sterile fingertip. You can use a special nozzle equipped with silicone bristles.
It is important that parents do not miss dangerous symptoms. You should definitely visit a doctor if the color of the crowns changes. Blackish areas in the area of the tooth neck indicate a chronic inflammatory process. With a yellowish-greenish tint, disturbances in bilirubin metabolism can be suspected. A reddish color indicates metabolic disorders of pigment such as porphyria. We must not allow ulcers, stomatitis, or damage to the mucous membrane to appear in the mouth. It is forbidden to use aspirin and alcohol solutions, or to lick your baby’s pacifier or spoon, so as not to introduce pathogenic bacteria. Even with a typical picture of the appearance of chewing organs, a visit to the doctor will not be superfluous.
