Sequence of teething in children: symptoms and diagram

Averyanova Sveta

All parents eagerly await the appearance of the first incisors. This is an important life stage for boys and girls. It is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms, pain and moodiness. You can find out when children start teething normally, what is the reason for the delays and how to help your baby cope with discomfort in our article.

When teeth start cutting

The first incisors appear between 4 and 7 months of age. The pattern of teething in children is approximately the same, but the timing is different. Some babies remain toothless for up to a year, but then quickly catch up with their peers. And others already by 6–8 months become the owners of 2–4 teeth.

The process of formation of the milk chewing apparatus ends by 3 years. By this time the baby should have 20 teeth. If there are minor delays in the appearance of the first incisors, then there is no need to worry. If by the age of one and a half years there are no signs of their eruption, seek help and advice from a doctor.

Forms of caries of primary teeth in children -

As we said above, caries can occur in children as early as 1 year of life, starting from the moment the primary teeth erupt. Caries of permanent teeth also begins in children from the moment they erupt, i.e. at the age of 5-6 years. And if in preschoolers and schoolchildren the resulting carious defect can exist for quite a long time (until the transition of caries to pulpitis and periodontitis), then in children under 2-3 years of age, a rapid development of caries and its complications is usually observed. The reasons for this are the following factors:

• weak enamel mineralization,
• a very thin layer of tooth enamel,
• a very thin layer of dentin (only 1-2 mm) that separates the enamel from the pulp of the tooth.

Therefore, even from shallow carious defects, bacteria very quickly enter the pulp (the neurovascular bundle located in the center of the tooth) and first cause the development of inflammation and then the death of the pulp. Therefore, parents should pay attention not only to the appearance of already typical carious defects. The initial form of caries in children is manifested in the formation on the surface of the enamel - white chalky spots (foci of demineralization), the appearance of which precedes the occurrence of carious defects themselves.

Forms of dental caries in children:

• The initial form of caries (Fig. 5-6) - with irregular oral hygiene, microbial plaque accumulates at the necks of the teeth. Plaque bacteria produce acid, which begins to dissolve the already weakly mineralized enamel, which leads to the formation of foci of demineralization on the surface of the tooth enamel. The latter look like white chalky spots, slightly rough to the touch.

  Parents often do not notice the appearance of such spots in time, because... they are hidden under a layer of soft plaque. Or the parents do not see anything serious in their appearance. If during this period there is no normalization of the child’s oral hygiene, as well as his diet, the white spots on the surface of the enamel very quickly turn into superficial carious defects.

• Superficial caries (Fig. 7) - at this stage of caries development, only the tooth enamel is affected, i.e. The carious process does not yet affect the layer of dentin located under the enamel. Superficial carious defects usually appear directly on the site of previous foci of demineralization (white chalky spots). By the way, this is clearly visible in Fig. 2.

• Middle caries (Fig. 8-9) - at this stage of development, the bottom of the carious cavity is localized already below the enamel-dentin border, i.e. located in the middle layers of dentin. If initial and superficial caries remain, as a rule, unnoticed by parents, then intermediate caries is clearly visible on the surface of the tooth. In addition, children may already experience short-term pain when eating cold or sweet foods, but young children are not able to express their feelings.
  Moreover, in children under 2 years of age, tooth damage by medium caries most often tends to unlimited planar and circular distribution. Those. A carious lesion can occupy several entire tooth surfaces at once. And only after 2 years of age, the carious lesion will have its usual appearance - a limited carious cavity (saucer-shaped).

• Deep caries (Fig. 10) is the next stage in the development of the carious process, but in children under 3 years of age this form of caries practically does not occur. The latter is due, among other things, to the fact that in children of this age group the thickness of dentin is only 1-2 mm, and therefore, even with a shallow carious cavity, infection of the pulp (neurovascular bundle) quickly occurs - with the subsequent development of pulpitis and periodontitis.

Symptoms

Teething in babies is a natural process. This age period is perceived by mothers as the most difficult. The small organism malfunctions, the baby experiences constant discomfort.

It is easy to recognize that a baby is cutting its first teeth by the following accompanying signs:

• Increased salivation. It begins 1–2 months before the appearance of the incisors.
• The desire to scratch the gums, chew something. The baby puts fingers, toys, and diapers into his mouth. He chews everything he can get his hands on with pleasure and calms down. This sign is common to all children.
• Increased nervousness, moodiness. The baby cries, tugs, and feels his gums.
• Sleep disorders. Babies 3–6 months old wake up at night, rock hard, and won’t let the bottle or breast out of their mouth. In rare cases, newborn toddlers may cry all night and day long. Don’t worry, the child is in severe pain, the tooth will appear soon.
• Lack of appetite, complete refusal to eat. It is observed at the stage of active tooth eruption. Hunger strike or weak appetite lasts 2-3 days.
• The lymph node behind the ears is inflamed. The bump does not pose a threat to the baby. To rule out the disease, get tested, check the level of leukocytes and lymphocytes.
• Swelling, swelling of the gums. Redness and swelling are observed at the site of the future tooth. The remaining parts of the gums are calm.
• Increase in body temperature during teething. Hyperthermia manifests itself in different ways. In some infants, the temperature rises by 1–1.5 degrees, in others it goes off scale – up to 39–40°C, lasting from one to three days. Important! If your baby has a high temperature for four or more days, the gums are completely swollen, there is diarrhea, or skin irritation, consult a doctor. Perhaps the cause of the discomfort was not the teeth, but an infection.
• Runny nose, mild wet cough. These signs of teething are triggered by copious amounts of saliva. They have nothing to do with colds.
• Diarrhea. Weak loose stools are observed for one to two days. Your stomach may hurt.
• Irritation on the skin of the face and chest. Red spots and itching of the epidermis are provoked by children's saliva, which gets on the chin, cheeks, and neck.

This is interesting! Increased salivation saves the baby from some discomfort during teething. Saliva has an antibacterial and analgesic effect. If the incisors appeared unaccompanied by a large amount of moisture in the mouth, then the kids would experience much more discomfort.

Treatment of caries of primary teeth –

Treatment of caries in children under 3 years of age differs from treatment in older children. The choice of technique will primarily depend on 1) the age of the child and his behavior in the doctor’s chair, 2) the depth of the carious lesion, 3) as well as the behavior of the child’s parents. Typical inadequate demands of parents are “not to paint your teeth black”, “not to give an anesthetic injection”, “not to drill your teeth”, etc. All this makes it difficult to choose the optimal treatment method for a particular child.

1) Treatment of caries in children under 3 years of age –

In children of this age (depending on the depth of the carious process, as well as on behavior in the dentist’s chair), the following treatment methods can be used:

• remineralizing therapy,
• silvering (Fig. 11),
• deep fluoridation (Fig. 12),
• gentle filling of teeth (Fig. 13).

The method of tooth remineralization - remineralization of tooth enamel (saturation of it with calcium and phosphates) is carried out for the initial and superficial forms of caries of primary teeth. The course ranges from 5 to 10 procedures. As therapeutic agents, drugs such as, for example, calcium phosphate gel “GC Tooth Mousse” containing the complex “CPP-ACP” (casein-phospho-peptide-amorphous calcium phosphate) are used. An example of another product is “ROCS-mineral” based on calcium glycerophosphate and xylitol.

All these products can be used not only in the dentist’s office, but also at home. The main requirements are regular oral hygiene and a complete absence of plaque (plus the exclusion of the consumption of easily digestible carbohydrates, including sugary drinks). Treatment will not be effective if these requirements are not met. The drug “GC Tooth Mousse” will be more effective; it is easy to buy online and easy to use at home.

Deep fluoridation method (Fig. 12) - this method is also carried out in the presence of initial caries in the white spot stage, as well as in superficial caries. It is best to apply it in the second stage, i.e. immediately after the remineralization course. In total, a fluoridation course consists of 3-5 procedures, which consist of applying preparations based on sodium fluoride, tin fluoride, amino fluoride (optimally in the form of a varnish, which after application hardens on the enamel surface) to the surface of the tooth enamel.

The effectiveness of the fluoridation process greatly depends on the composition of the product used. It is important to choose an effective and at the same time safe concentration of fluoride for the child. You can read more about optimal medications at the link above. In addition, there is the drug “Enamel-sealing liquid Tiefenfluorid” (Germany), which is two-component and allows you to combine both remineralization and fluoridation at once.

Teeth silvering method (Fig. 11) - this method is used to treat initial caries in the white spot stage, superficial and medium caries. The silvering method is used only for the treatment of baby teeth, because... it causes areas of the tooth affected by caries to turn black. It is usually indicated in children no older than 3 years, because After 3-3.5 years of age, in most cases it is already possible to agree with the child on the traditional option of dental treatment (here, everything basically depends on the ability and desire of the dentist to find an approach to the child).

Of course, it is not entirely optimal to use it for the treatment of foci of demineralization in the form of white spots, as well as superficial caries, because Ideally, in these cases, it is advisable to conduct courses of remineralization and fluoridation. But with average caries (circular and planar forms), this method is not so bad, because In some children, it may be the only opportunity to survive until the physiological change of teeth, i.e. will allow you to do without their premature removal.

The optimal drug is Saforide (based on 38% silver diaminofluoride). According to the recommendations of the Russian Dental Association, silvering of teeth should be carried out not just once, but from 3 to 5 times. Only in this case is it possible to achieve stabilization of the process, but further maintenance repeated courses will be necessary, the period between which can be 1-3-6 months. The duration between repeated courses will depend on a number of factors, for example, the level of oral hygiene, the rate of caries progression, etc.

Gentle filling of teeth in children under 3 years of age - this method is carried out for superficial and medium caries. Don’t worry, filling teeth in children of this age is quite possible, and many dentists treat even 1.5-year-old children in this way. The most important thing here is the approach, and that the child is not scared from the very beginning. For example, it is very important not to cause any unpleasant sensations to the child during 1 visit, and therefore the child first only has his teeth brushed with polishing brushes and a tasty paste, and enamel strengthening agents are also applied to the teeth.

On the second visit, you can begin gentle filling. First, it is necessary to remove the sharp edges of the enamel and softened dentin. This can be done not only with a drill, but also with the help of scraping with hand tools specially designed for this. This is possible because the enamel and dentin in children of this age are much softer than in adults. It is also very important that in young children pain sensitivity in the teeth is reduced, and usually everything is painless.

There is another way to facilitate the removal of enamel and dentin affected by caries. This method involves first applying a special gel (for example, Carisolv, Switzerland), which softens tissues affected by caries and does not affect healthy enamel and dentin. After this, all that remains is to carry out very light scraping with hand tools. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that in some cases, high-quality filling can be carried out only after preparing the carious cavity with a drill, and in this case, only small carious cavities can be cured without anesthesia.

Important points that parents need to know before getting a filling -

• It is very important that the dentist has a “caries marker” drug, which helps the dentist determine whether he has completely removed the dentin affected by caries. In children of this age, this can be very difficult to determine. If the dentist leaves even a little bit of carious dentin, caries will occur under the filling, which will very quickly turn into pulpitis and acute pain. Those. If the doctor doesn’t have such a drug initially, I wouldn’t even sign up for treatment if I were you.

• Selection of material for filling - after removing all tissues affected by caries and appropriate antiseptic treatment, the actual filling begins. The second important point is the choice of filling material. Children of this age can and should have their teeth filled only with “glass ionomer cements” (GIC), for example, “Ketak-molar”, “Ionofil”, “Fuji IX”, “Cemion”, etc. In addition, even with average caries in children, a therapeutic pad made of calcium-containing material is always placed under such a filling.

2) Treatment of caries in children from 3 to 6 years old –

If your child has an initial form of caries (in the form of white chalky spots), then the treatment will be the same as for children under 3 years of age - remineralizing therapy, deep fluoridation, and in the worst case - silvering. We provided a link to these methods just above. For superficial, medium and deep caries in children of this age, it is optimal to use the technique of filling teeth with glass ionomer cements (GIC).

Before filling, carious tissues should preferably be drilled out with a drill, and only as a last resort can scraping of carious tissues with curettage spoons or smoothers be used. Under the glass ionomer filling (if the caries is medium or deep), a spacer made of calcium-containing material must also be placed.

Only if the child is emotionally unbalanced, is very afraid of the sound of the drill, in children who do not allow anesthesia or have a contraindication for it, in children with diseases of the central nervous system, it is preferable to use not a drill, but alternative methods of removing tissue affected by caries. It is also worth considering that if we are talking about a child’s very first visit to the dentist, then no invasive procedures should be performed during this visit (you should limit yourself to only polishing the teeth and applying fluoride varnish). This will allow the child to have a more positive attitude towards the dentist in the future.

Possible reasons for the delay

The absence of baby teeth by the age of one year alarms parents and pediatricians. The reasons for delays in the formation of the masticatory apparatus are the following factors:

• Calcium deficiency. At one year of age, children with rickets have no milk teeth. Calcium may not be absorbed due to disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract and metabolic disorders.
• Heredity. If one or both parents developed incisors late, their children will inherit the same feature. There is no way to speed up the natural process.
• Edentia. There are no tooth primordia in the jaw. Adentia can be complete or partial. You can see how many tooth germs there are in the jaw using an x-ray. The procedure is prescribed by a dentist.
• Hormonal disorders. Malfunctions of the thyroid gland shift the timing of a baby’s development.
• Infectious diseases at an early age. Past illnesses affect the body’s supply of necessary vitamins and minerals and disrupt the rhythm of development.
• Prematurity. In children born prematurely, all physiological processes are often delayed by one to two months.

Complications of caries in children -

As we said above, in children under 3 years of age, newly appeared caries can turn into pulpitis (inflammation of the nerve in the tooth) in just 2-3 months, which is also due to the too small thickness of enamel and dentin.
The resulting pulpitis can have either an acute or chronic course. The acute course of pulpitis in primary teeth is characterized by the occurrence of spontaneous paroxysmal pain, especially at night and in the evening. The pain is usually provoked by hot or cold food, and after eliminating the irritant it can last from 15 minutes to several hours. In the chronic course of pulpitis of primary teeth, pain symptoms may either be completely absent, or pain may occur during meals (due to irritation of the receptors in the area of ​​the bottom of the carious cavity by the food lump). This form of pulpitis can be very difficult to distinguish from average caries, which often leads to medical errors. Mistaking pulpitis for average caries, the doctor traditionally treats it with silvering or filling, which inevitably leads to the development of periodontitis (24stoma.ru).

But in the absence of treatment, pulpitis in any case sooner or later transforms into periodontitis (purulent inflammation at the apex of the root). The following symptoms are characteristic of periodontitis in primary teeth: 1) an abscess periodically appears on the gum in the form of a lump filled with pus, 2) fistulas with purulent discharge periodically open in the projection of the root of the diseased tooth on the gum. What purulent inflammation looks like during periodontitis (Fig. 15-16).

The occurrence of fistulas and purulent lumps on the gums is an absolute indication for tooth extraction (regardless of how much time is left before its physiological change). The fact is that purulent inflammation at the apex of the root of a baby tooth can most likely cause inflammation of the germ of a permanent tooth, which is located only 1-2 mm from the tops of the roots of a baby tooth. In addition, bacteria and toxins will constantly enter the blood, leading to deterioration of immunity and the development of a number of chronic diseases (for example, diseases of the ENT organs, bronchial asthma, allergies, etc.).

You can read about what needs to be done if your child has a fistula or purulent abscess on his gum in the article at the link above.

Teething order

Baby teeth should emerge in a pattern determined by nature. The timing varies greatly.

We present the average age indicator for the formation of the masticatory apparatus, which is accepted by pediatricians. The normal sequence should look like this:

1. Central incisors - 4 teeth. First, the 2 lower ones come out - from the 6th to the 10th month, then the 2 upper ones - from the 7th to the 12th month.
2. Lateral incisors - 4 teeth. By the 9th–12th month, 2 upper incisors appear, by the 7th–16th month, 2 lower ones.
3. Fangs - 4 teeth. They usually grow almost simultaneously from the 16th to the 23rd month.
4. The first molars are 4 teeth. The bottom erupts from the 12th to the 18th month, the top - from the 13th to the 19th month.
5. Second molars - 4 teeth. Last milk teeth. The lower ones appear at the end of the baby’s second year of life - up to the 31st month, the upper ones - from the 25th to the 31st month.

To track how children's teeth grow according to the schedule, use the picture. Print out the calendar and hang it in a visible place, noting the incisors that have already appeared.

Print the calendar in large format (click on the image to enlarge) and fill it out with your child:

When do babies start teething?

The first teeth - the central incisors - peck first from below and then from above. And by his first birthday, the baby has four beautiful teeth. Next, the sequence of teething is as follows:

• in the period from 1 to 2 years, the primary canines and first molars peck;
• from 2 to 2.5 years – the second molars erupt.

At three years old, the baby is the happy owner of fully formed two rows of milk teeth in the amount of 20 pieces. The lower and upper rows consist of 4 central incisors, 2 canines and 4 molars (chewing teeth). At the age of about 12 years, the number of teeth in a child increases to twenty-eight.

However, if your baby’s teething time is delayed, then you should not immediately panic, as this is a completely normal phenomenon. But in this case, it is recommended to carefully monitor the condition of the child’s gums.

If you notice swelling of the gum tissue or redness, it means that the teething period is already entering the active stage. Continue to monitor for possible changes.

Scheme of eruption of permanent teeth

Children acquire a full permanent set of teeth by the age of 12–15 years. Teeth begin to renew in older preschool age, at 5–6 years. But first, “sixes” will come out in the place where there were no milk teeth. These are called first molars and will be replaced by premolars after age 10. “Sixes” fill the gap in the jaw before the first baby teeth fall out.

The remaining baby teeth will emerge in the following sequence, shown in the table:

A graphic diagram will help you understand the order of formation of a permanent bite:

The baby's body's reaction to the first teeth

When children are teething, there is nervousness, fuss and confusion in the house.

In an instant, the baby turns from an easygoing and smiling angel into a whiny and irritable one. At the age of six months, a child’s body experiences a lot of stress, and for the first time the baby encounters constant pain, itching, and discomfort in the mouth.

During this difficult period, parents need to be patient. Take the advice of Dr. Komarovsky: “Give the baby all your love, pick him up more often, warm him with your warmth, kiss him, hug him. Feeling the support, affection and understanding of your parents will make the process of cutting your first teeth less stressful.”

And here is Dr. Komarovsky’s full video on this topic:

In order to properly help a child survive a difficult stage, parents need to understand the cause of whims, snot, cough, diarrhea and other external manifestations of malfunctions in the body. Let's look at each problem separately.

Increased salivation

It occurs due to the active work of the salivary glands during the preparation of the gums for the appearance of the first incisors. Excess moisture in the mouth plays a huge role in protecting the oral cavity from infections; it contains immune cells.

At the moment of teething, the child’s body weakens, the baby puts his hands and any objects into his mouth, and saliva can kill viruses and microorganisms dangerous to health. More often, salivation returns to normal after the appearance of the first 2–4 incisors, when the child is already stronger.

Runny nose

It is provoked by bacteria and viruses, which the infant’s body cannot fully resist during this period.

Snot appears due to excess saliva. It enters the middle ear and flows down the nasal passages. Congestion and sneezing are first noticed a few days before the incisor appears and disappear immediately after the edge of the tooth emerges from the gums.

Coughing

The airways become clogged with copious amounts of saliva. The child cannot swallow it quickly, so he is forced to cough and may sneeze. If saliva gets into the nasopharynx and accumulates there, the parents will hear soft wheezing in the baby’s chest.

If the cough is not caused by ARVI, it appears at night. During sleep, the baby is in a horizontal position, and it is difficult for saliva to flow down the throat on its own. The baby coughs up excess moisture every 15–30 minutes as a reflex. The symptom does not require treatment.

Important! If the cough is severe, accompanied by wheezing, high fever, or rash, consult a doctor and get tested.

Diarrhea or constipation

The baby's stomach reacts violently to any changes in diet, drinking regimen, and rest. Diarrhea at the time of teething is provoked by excessive saliva, stress, and sleep disturbances. Constipation in infants occurs much less frequently at this time.

It is important not to confuse disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract due to the appearance of teeth and poisoning. Normally, the stool does not change globally, diarrhea lasts from 24 to 72 hours, the stool will not be too liquid.

Vomiting, nausea

Very rare. It is provoked by excess saliva and cough. If the baby vomits frequently and there is severe diarrhea, then we are talking about poisoning or gastrointestinal diseases. In this case, you need to seek medical help.

Swelling of the gums

Parents can see swelling in the baby's mouth and feel it to the touch. When examining the oral cavity with the naked eye, a small bump on the gum is noticeable and is easy to feel. It is in this place that the tooth will soon appear.

Sometimes a small blood clot forms on or near the tubercle, and the vessel is ruptured by the erupting tooth. After one or two days, the gums will turn blue and a hematoma will form. This is considered the norm.

Swelling of the gums is accompanied by pain and itching. Pustules appear in the mouth if an infection gets into the cavity, the baby is injured by the sharp edges of toys, or nails when scratching the gums. In this case, the entire oral cavity will swell.

Decreased appetite

The baby may refuse to eat at all or eat very poorly. There is no need to insist. The child's body is busy with the formation of the chewing apparatus. Eating and digesting take away energy. When everything is over, the baby will definitely make up for the lack of nutrients.

Fever

Due to teeth, infants have a fever for no more than three days; the body heats up to 38.5°C. This is due to inflammatory processes on the gums and infection in open wounds in the mouth. Relief occurs immediately after the tooth comes out.

Temperatures rarely rise to 39–40 degrees. Such indicators are usually recorded in weakened children who often suffer from colds.

If hyperthermia continues for more than three days, the increase is significant, you need to consult a doctor. Most likely, this symptom has nothing to do with teeth.

Skin rash

The epidermis is irritated on the lower part of the face, chest, neck, and arms. The rash is caused by saliva. It gets on open parts, the active secretion corrodes the delicate skin. The epidermis on the fingers becomes inflamed when the child puts them behind the cheek to scratch the sore spot or bites them with the gums.

The irritated areas itch, tingle, and the integrity of the skin is compromised, which causes additional discomfort for the baby.

Irritability, moodiness

The reason lies in general malaise, fatigue, and painful sensations in the mouth. The gums are rich in nerve endings, so swelling and teething are felt clearly and sharply by the baby.

Improvement in the condition occurs immediately after the gum ruptures at the top of the tooth. The baby stops being capricious, begins to smile, eat, and sleep soundly.

Desire to gnaw, bite

Even one-year-old babies try to scratch their sore gums at the moment of cutting in another tooth, and even more so for six-month-old babies. The gums hurt, itch, and may increase in size due to swelling. If the baby chews on something hard, the pain subsides and temporary peace sets in.

For these purposes, babies use any objects, including their own hands. It is very important for parents to monitor their baby at such moments. Plastic toys with sharp edges can hurt your gums, and your hands are full of harmful bacteria.

The body's reaction to the eruption of baby teeth is different for all children. If your baby is lucky, the first front incisor will come out asymptomatically, without causing concern to parents and child.

Use of Medicines

Modern pharmacies sell a lot of products to help babies teething. These are gels, ointments, sprays, drops. They have an anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect, relieve itching and burning. With their help, the period of teething is easier for children, but it will not be possible to completely relieve pain and anxiety.

The following tools are popular among parents and pediatricians (Important! The table can be scrolled left and right on mobile devices):

Important! Homeopathic remedies are considered to be effective, safe, inexpensive medicines for young children. But do not forget that they are made from natural herbs, plant extracts, and oils. It is dangerous to use them for babies prone to allergies.

In addition to discomfort in the mouth, itching, the child may be bothered by high fever and headache. In this case, use antipyretics:

• "Panadol"
• Paracetamol for children
• Ibuprofen
• "Viferon"
• "Nurofen"

For infants up to one year old, buy suspensions and suppositories; older children can be given a tablet by dissolving it in water. These remedies combine several properties: they lower the temperature, relieve headaches, and pain in the mouth. The effect lasts for at least 6–8 hours. Calculate the dosage according to the instructions for the drug, taking into account the age and weight of the baby.

Gum diseases

Pulpitis

Pulpitis is an inflammatory disease of the soft tissues of the tooth, of an infectious nature, which is the most common consequence of untimely or poor-quality treatment of carious lesions, characterized by acute pain and a sharp reaction to temperature stimuli.

Pulpitis is not so much an independent disease as a consequence of improper treatment of dental diseases or lack of treatment as such. The mechanism of development of the disease is simple: in the presence of carious lesions left unattended, the destruction of hard tooth tissues can reach the root pulp, as a result of which microorganisms and their metabolic products begin to penetrate into the vascular bundle located in the center of the tooth. The ingress of pathogenic agents is accompanied by a response accompanied by acute pain, a sharp, time-long reaction to cold or hot - this is inflammation. In addition to caries, pulpitis can be caused by tooth trauma - loss of part of the tooth or crown, fracture, crack.

Symptoms of pulpitis are varied and depend on the form of the disease. There are acute and chronic forms of the disease. Acute pulpitis is characterized by periodically occurring pain in the tooth, occurring suddenly and disappearing on its own. Most often, pain occurs in the evening and at night. At the initial stages of the development of the disease, pulpitis may not bother the patient much, but over time, attacks of pain become more frequent and intensified, the pain becomes pulsating in nature and is expressed with greater intensity. Sometimes the pain radiates to the jaw, ear, or nearby areas, which can cause a migraine or headache attack. Subsequently, the pain becomes unbearable, excruciating and cannot be relieved with painkillers.

Chronic pulpitis manifests itself somewhat differently. This disease in its chronic form makes itself felt with any thermal changes - painful sensations occur when the temperature changes, for example, when moving from a cold room to a warm one and vice versa, eating very cold or very hot. As the thermal factor is eliminated, the pain gradually subsides. Spontaneously occurring causeless pain is not typical for chronic pulpitis.

Treatment of pulpitis involves removing the pulp and installing a filling on the damaged tooth. If pulpitis is not treated, a number of complications and consequences may develop. The most common include: periodontitis, periostitis; osteomyelitis, etc.

Folk remedies

Grandmother’s recipes at home help alleviate the condition of children:

• Massage.
  The swollen gum should be massaged with a finger wrapped in clean, damp gauze. Or dip it in hydrogen peroxide or chamomile decoction. Massage acts as a sedative.
• Exposure to cold. Cool the pacifier, pacifier, spoon in the refrigerator. Let your child chew. Cold objects soothe gums and relieve pain. The eruption site will become less swollen.
• Herbal decoctions. To stabilize the psychological state, you can use chamomile tea, infusion of valerian root, and motherwort. Let your child drink 100 ml decoctions 3-4 times a day.
• Rubbing with soda solution. 1 tsp. Dissolve baking soda in a glass of water. Wet a bandage with the solution and wipe the reddened gums. This method helps to disinfect the cavity and relieve swelling.
• Honey. Apply a small amount of honey to your gums. It will relieve inflammation and the pain will subside.
• Roots of strawberry, chicory. Invite your child to chew on the peeled roots. Massage movements will calm the baby and relieve pain.
• Increasing the amount of fluid you drink. Let your child drink water, juices, milk. Diarrhea, vomiting, and refusal to eat provoke dehydration.

How to help your baby

When the baby is restless, cries, sleeps poorly and hardly eats because of pain, mothers are ready to make any sacrifice so that the child gets rid of discomfort. Infants are provided with special care, parents try to console the baby with games, persuasion, and affection. But this is not always effective.

There are a number of recommendations to help cope with pain and moodiness:

• Special teethers. Buy “rodents” of various shapes at the pharmacy. They are made of silicone and rubber. Sometimes filled with water to keep them cool. The child massages the gums, the pain subsides.
• Pacifiers, bottles, pacifiers. The baby uses them as teethers and a means of relieving itching in the mouth. Make sure that the integrity of the pacifier is not compromised. An infant may choke on a piece of latex.
• Gum massage. Gently, without pressing the cheek, stroke the swollen areas with your fingers. Before the procedure, wash your hands and wrap them in a bandage, soak them in chamomile decoction.
• Finger brushes. Used to clean babies' first teeth. During the period when the incisors appear in front, they can be used as a means of massaging the gums.
• Liquid food. Solid food can cause discomfort when chewing for a toddler. Replace main courses with soups and vegetable purees.

Common Misconceptions

Superstitions, misconceptions and stupid recommendations from “experienced” grandmothers accompany the childhood of any child. Among them we can highlight the most popular ones.

1. All children's teeth should grow at the same time and in the same order. Condemning the baby for late teething and minor deviations in the sequence cause mothers a lot of trouble. There is no need to compare children. If your neighbors Vovka and Mashenka have two teeth at six months, and your Dima still has none, this does not indicate developmental pathologies. Every child is unique from birth.
2. When teething, a high temperature necessarily rises. It is important to understand why this happens. Hyperthermia occurs due to inflammation of the gums and infection of the baby. If the child’s immunity copes with the bacteria, the temperature will not rise.
3. Babies should not suck on pacifiers or bottles while their baby teeth are emerging. Supposedly this will ruin the bite. This statement is wrong. The pacifier does not affect the permanent bite if by the age of 6–7 years the child has weaned himself from sucking a finger and a pacifier.
4. There is no need to clean or treat baby teeth. When babies eat adult food, and not just mother’s milk or formula, it’s time to start brushing their teeth and still toothless gums. Teach your child to good hygiene so that he does not have bad breath or caries, which transfers to permanent teeth from milk teeth.
5. You can get rid of swelling on the gums and runny nose with antihistamines. This is true if the snot and swelling in the mouth are caused by allergens. During teething, these symptoms have a different cause. The baby cannot be treated with antiallergic medications.

Why do you need to protect the health of baby teeth?

Two main reasons:

1. Because a child who has not learned to take care of his teeth in childhood will continue to be inattentive to dental health in the future.

Moreover: when faced with pain, a child may begin to fear doctors and avoid visiting them. Since almost all people are susceptible to tooth decay (the disease affects up to 93% of the world's population), failure to receive regular dental care will result in tooth loss in the future.

Healthy and sick tooth: picture for children

1. Because baby teeth need to be preserved until their natural replacement.

Losing baby teeth too early is a high risk of permanent malocclusion in the future. The roots of baby teeth, although much shorter than those of permanent teeth, perform an important role: they support the jaw tissue, transfer the load to it during chewing and contribute to its normal growth. If multiple teeth are lost, jaw development may be delayed. In this case, when the permanent teeth begin to emerge, there may not be enough space for them, so they will not grow along an even arch line, but where they can, which will lead to crowding. In addition, if the development of the lower jaw lags behind the upper jaw, a distal bite may occur, in which the lower teeth are pushed back relative to the upper teeth. This anomaly is treatable, but preventive measures are always better than urgent ones.

Do baby teeth need to be treated? Yes, definitely - to avoid their removal. For example, caries develops gradually: from stage 1 (white spot) to stage 2–3, when the tooth is already partially destroyed. But even at this stage, the tooth can be saved if treated in time.

If this is not done, nerve inflammation may begin. Pulpitis of a baby tooth is the last, 4th stage, accompanied by pain ranging from aching to acute. Unfortunately, after this it is quite difficult to save the tooth.

The most important factor influencing dental health is not heredity, but timely and constant care.

Getting used to cleaning

You need to start brushing from the moment the first tooth erupts. Until one year of age, toothpaste is not necessary - a soft silicone brush is sufficient. A brush in the shape of a teether is considered convenient - the child can hold it himself, while simultaneously cleaning the teeth and relieving itching from teething.

Silicone teething brush

After 1 year, you can use a soft bristle brush and toothpaste with the required age marking. Such pastes do not contain fluoride; you do not need to spit them out (use a small amount).

For children, there are also electric toothbrushes that have soft bristles and weak vibrations.

Children's electric toothbrush

It is optimal to brush your teeth twice a day, especially important before bed, after the last meal.

Proper nutrition

It is impossible to completely deprive a child of sweets, but the basis of nutrition should not be treats, but valuable foods: meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, cottage cheese, and so on.

The problem with sweets is that they create an acidic environment in the mouth, in which the enamel quickly thins out and becomes brittle. Therefore, the consumption of sugar, chocolate and other treats should be limited, and after them it is advisable to brush your teeth.

Sweets in large quantities have been proven to harm teeth

Scheduled appointments

If adults usually need a visit once a year, then children need to visit the dentist more often - once every 6 months. The enamel of children's teeth is thin, caries develops quickly. Therefore, it is important to notice it at an early stage so that the treatment is short-lived, does not bring discomfort to the child and does not create a negative impression on him. In addition, the smaller the filling, the greater the chance that the tooth will live with it until it falls out.

Healthy, strong baby teeth are the basis for a future permanent dentition. In addition, having gotten used to visiting the dentist since childhood and knowing that a planned appointment is not scary, the child will treat treatment more responsibly in the future.