Your baby’s teeth start to develop while they are still in the womb. While your baby is growing he will have grown 20 primary teeth by time he is three years old. There will be ten on the top and ten on the bottom waiting to erupt. These include central incisors, lateral incisors, canines, first molars, and second molars.
Teething is not only hard on your baby but it is also hard on you. A baby who is hurting is a fussy baby, and a fussy baby is not a happy baby! Just when you thought baby would feel better after a tooth erupted, the corresponding tooth on the other side is also likely on the way so baby can still be hurting as it also pushes its way through gum tissue. By around six, your baby’s primary teeth will begin falling out as they make way for the permanent teeth. By the time your child is twelve, all of the primary teeth will be gone.
Babies between 3-12 months old might experience the following teething behavior:
Wakefulness
Ear rubbing
Decreased appetite
Irritability
Sucking
Drooling (this increased saliva production often causes a rash around the mouth)
Gum rubbing (baby will do this to try to relieve pressure on the gums)
Biting (this relieves pressure on the gums)
Mild temperature (normally this will be less than 102 degrees)
Baby’s tooth buds start forming in the gums during your second trimester of pregnancy. During the formation of the roots, they force the crown upwards. The continued pressure on the gum tissues breaks them down, and as they get thinner they break the tissue and the tooth erupts through the gums.
The bottom teeth in the front of baby’s mouth are the central incisors, and they are the first to show themselves. After that, the four upper front teeth, the central and lateral incisors, make their debut. Next up are the canine teeth, the pointy ones between the incisors and the molars, and since they are thin they generally slide through the gum tissue without causing much pain.
By the time your baby is around 12 months, the first molars will arrive in the back of baby’s mouth. The molars are the big guns, they can cause the gums to bulge as fluid builds up, forming a blueish cyst over the molar before it erupts. Eruption may release blood in baby’s mouth as the sac breaks when the tooth pops the cyst.
How you can help your baby:
— To help relieve teething pain, you can rub your baby’s gums using light pressure. Use a clean finger or cold spoon.
— To clean your baby’s gums, you can use a clean, damp washcloth and run it along the top and bottom of baby’s gums.
— After your baby’s teeth break through the gums, brush them gently several times a day with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and plain water.
— Be sure your baby has their first dental visit by the time they reach their first birthday. The general rule is to take them to the dentist six months after their first tooth erupts.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 843-757-2828.