When a child is born, he does not yet have teeth. During the first year, a huge number of changes occur in the baby's body. This also includes the period when the first teeth of newborns begin to appear. At this time, parents often lose peace of mind, since for several months the baby has been capricious and does not allow mom and dad to sleep due to the discomfort they experience. When to expect this and how to help the baby?

Symptoms

Some specific symptoms can help determine the onset of teething in infants. Thanks to them, you can prepare for changing your baby’s behavior and start using various tricks and aids to facilitate this process.

The first signs may appear as early as 4-5 months after birth. They are mainly associated with changes in the child's behavior.

First of all this:

• loss of appetite;
• swelling of the gums;
• increased amount of saliva;
• restlessness, especially at night;
• frequent crying for no apparent reason.

Also, in some cases, newborns exhibit the following symptoms:

• bowel disorder (diarrhea or constipation);
• runny nose;
• cough;
• temperature;
• vomit;
• diathesis.

In general, if these signs relate to the appearance of teeth, there is no need to worry. However, consulting a doctor will not be superfluous, because long-term health problems can lead to complications. In addition, these symptoms are not always a consequence of the baby's teething.

One of the most striking manifestations of the fact that children are finally getting their first teeth is that they put everything in their mouths that comes to hand. This is primarily due to the fact that their gums hurt and they try to scratch them. To do this, the baby needs to chew some object. This also allows you to speed up the process, because when baby teeth are cut, they need to break through the soft gum tissue, and chewing facilitates this. Therefore, as soon as you notice this behavior in your child, buy him a special chew toy and wait for the first tooth to appear.

When babies are teething, they put everything in their mouth

Procedure and terms

Often, babies' first teeth appear at about six months of age. It is worth noting that the development of girls and boys is different; the latter are slightly behind due to the characteristics of their bodies. In addition, babies have been cutting their teeth for more than one year. Normally, children under one year of age have 8 teeth. All other dairy products appear in the next one and a half to two years.

The order of cutting is also important. It is also worth noting that both baby and molar teeth appear in parallel. It is precisely in order that their natural arrangement is not disturbed, it is important that correct sequence tooth growth.

The following cutting pattern can be derived:

• The central incisors of the lower row begin the process, the start occurs at 6-10 months.
• Central incisors of the upper row - from 8 months to a year.
• Upper lateral incisors – from 9 months to 13.
• Lower lateral incisors take longer to cut, from about 10 to 16 months.
• First molars. For the upper jaw - 13-19, for the lower jaw - 14-18 months.
• Canines – 16-22 and 17-23 months, respectively.
• Second molars - the lower molars are the first to complete their growth, at approximately 23-31 months, and the upper - at 25-33.

The order of eruption may coincide with the appearance of several teeth at the same time. Paired growth is predominantly observed.

Unfortunately, not all children go through this stage without problems. Not only may the order of teeth growth be disrupted, but some other complications may also arise. The most common are:

1. Edentia. Milk or molar teeth do not grow, since their rudiments are missing in the gums. This is due to impaired fetal development in the womb. The development of supernumerary teeth may also occur.
2. Retention. In this case, the teeth do not grow due to delays. This can be caused by tooth extraction, displacement, or disruption of the position of the rudiment.
3. Early eruption. In this case, the process begins at about 3 months. In more rare cases, a newborn is born with already erupted incisors. This is an individual feature of the body and this phenomenon does not pose any threat, other than an increased susceptibility to caries.

In order to be calm, it is better to contact a pediatrician if any delays or other problems are identified.

If you have any questions about your baby’s teething, accompanying symptoms, etc., you can always seek help from a specialist

Help the baby

In order to facilitate the teething process and reduce the baby's anxiety, parents can use various techniques and methods. The first of these is mother-child contact. This is especially true for infants. They need to breastfeed more often, pick him up and talk to him in a gentle tone. Try to distract the baby from unpleasant sensations. This could be a song, a game, an interesting object or a toy.

Since babies especially often put their hands into their mouths during this period and chew on any objects they come across, try to keep the house clean and monitor the child’s hygiene. In order to speed up the growth of teeth, you can buy special teething toys. They are mainly made from silicone. They can be different levels rigidity, be smooth or have soft massage spikes. Such devices are not only interesting for the child as entertainment, but also allow you to massage the gums, scratch them and improve blood circulation.

To make it easier for your baby to survive the teething period, you should buy him special teething toys. There are many types of them: with a cooling effect, with massage spikes, etc.

If the purchased toy turns out to be not interesting to the baby, you can replace it with other items. For example, you can give your baby a boiled carrot to chew. Very often parents give them dry food. In any case, children should not be left unattended, as they may break off a piece and choke on it.

Also, parents should not forget to massage the gums. To do this, you need to wash your hands beforehand. You can use clean medical gloves or finger pads. The essence of the massage is tapping and circular movements on the gums.

You can also use an ointment or gel with a cooling effect to reduce pain. Additionally, such preparations allow disinfection of the oral cavity. This is very important, because during this period it is very easy to get an infection, especially if the child constantly scratches his gums.

When children cut their first teeth, it is customary to give a silver spoon. This tradition has a completely rational explanation. The fact is that with the help of such a spoon you can not only cool inflamed gums, but also disinfect them thanks to the properties of silver.

Various can come to the rescue folk remedies. The most popular are:

1. Honey They lubricate swollen gums. Make sure that honey does not provoke an allergic reaction in the baby.
2. Soda. The gums are treated with a water solution to disinfect and relieve inflammation. To do this, you need to moisten a gauze swab in it. Under no circumstances should the powder be used undiluted.
3. Roots. Mostly chicory or strawberries are used. You need to thoroughly clean the roots and let your baby chew them a little.
4. Motherwort. Based on it, a decoction is prepared that relieves pain.

Before giving your child any of the remedies presented, as well as before using pharmaceutical drugs, it is imperative to consult a pediatrician. Some herbal components may be contraindicated due to the characteristics of the body. As for medications, they may cause allergies or contain paracetamol, which you need to be very careful with.

A baby's first toothbrush should be of high quality and have soft bristles.

Hygiene rules

When a child has already formed a set of teeth, you will need to take care of oral hygiene, because caries can reach here too. At first, parents will have to brush their child’s teeth themselves. To do this, you need to purchase a baby brush with soft bristles and a special toothpaste.

The doctor will show you the correct technique and teach you what movements to make with the brush for maximum effect. When the child grows up, he needs to be taught to independently perform all personal hygiene activities.

Maintaining cleanliness is the main guarantee of health. Do not allow infection to enter the baby’s body and ensure that the baby’s teething timing is consistent.

How many myths are there in the world related to cutting baby teeth? Many, very many. One of them is the fiction that girls cut their teeth much faster than boys. This is wrong. The development of children, which includes the growth of teeth, is an individual process. In addition, the above statement has no medical evidence. One baby's teeth may erupt very early. Another may not have even one in a year. Such a difference does not mean at all that one of the infants is experiencing any abnormalities. These two cases are considered normal variants.

The process of teething in babies lasts a very long time and causes a lot of inconvenience and anxiety not only for adults, but also for the little ones themselves. That is why parents must be “savvy” in this matter, which means they must know how to determine the onset of the appearance of primary incisors. How long does it take for the first tooth to come out? How long does it take for him to fully grow? How to help your baby when he starts teething? How to properly care for his oral cavity? Only informed parents will be able to help themselves and their baby. As they say, “knowledge is power.”

At what age do the first teeth begin to erupt?

According to average statistics, a baby’s first teeth begin to emerge at the age of 5-8 months (see also: eruption of upper teeth in babies: photo of swollen gums). There is no need to sound the alarm if this process started earlier or later for your little one. Each child, and therefore his body, is unique, and the first tooth can appear at 4 months or even a year.

There are many factors, both external and internal, that influence this process. The main ones include:

• water composition;
• method of feeding (artificial feeding or breastfeeding);
• natural conditions - the climate in which the baby grows and develops (the hotter it is, the faster the cutting process will begin);
• heredity (genetic predisposition);
• the health of the mother during the period of bearing the baby (she needs to monitor her diet so that the child inside her develops and grows correctly).

The order of eruption of baby teeth in children

Babies cut their teeth in pairs. The lower front incisors usually come out first. First, one tooth erupts, and a little later a second one appears after it. This occurs at approximately 4-9 months, although in some toddlers the first tooth may appear at one year or even later. Everything is individual and is not considered a deviation from the norm.

After the lower incisors emerge, the upper central incisors begin to emerge. Since teeth erupt in pairs, after the appearance of one, the second should be expected within 1-3 days. When they come out, the baby and the whole family begin a kind of rest from this process. It can last from one to two months, and then - back into battle.

The next pair of upper lateral incisors are cut through. Following them, you should expect lateral teeth from below, although, as previously mentioned, everything is individual, and the sequence of appearance of milk teeth can be completely different. It also happens that a baby has 4 teeth coming out at the same time.

Following the upper lateral incisors, the lower lateral incisors appear. By the age of one year, most toddlers already have 8 baby teeth visible - 4 at the top and 4 at the bottom. After the first birthday, fangs begin to emerge - first the lower ones, and then the upper ones. Following them are the first molars. The rear molars are the last to emerge. This occurs around 22-31 months. By the age of three, a child has an average of 20 baby teeth.

How many days does it take for one tooth to grow? His body completely emerges in 1-2 months, but it can take longer. If the tooth grows slowly, then from the moment the white dot appears on the gum until the tooth appears completely, it can take from 3 to 4 months.

If the baby is in his second year and his mouth is still empty, then this is a reason to contact the dentist and pediatrician. The eruption of baby teeth may not begin for a long time in a child if he:

How long does it take for each tooth to erupt?

The duration of the process of teething for each baby is individual (for more details, see the article: the order and timing of teething in infants). It all depends on the characteristics of the body. Baby teeth can come out completely unnoticed by the baby and his family members, or they can torment the baby for more than one month.

Average statistical data indicate that the first tooth, from the moment of swelling and redness of the gums and before its appearance, can cause discomfort for the baby from one to eight weeks, thereby provoking restless behavior in the poor thing.

It also takes time for a tooth to cut through the gum. This can happen after 3 days or after a week. The entire process of cutting baby teeth can be accompanied by painful sensations, and this is not surprising, because the tooth needs to break through not only bone tissue, but also mucous membranes. The incisor will stop causing discomfort only when it is on top of the mucous membrane.

To answer the question of how long it takes for the first tooth to erupt, parents should watch their child. The time for the eruption of the first milk tooth and all subsequent ones will be approximately the same.

From the moment the first milk unit appears until three years old The baby will be teething all the time until the dentition is completely formed (we recommend reading: the first baby tooth has fallen out - what to do with it: signs and customs). So parents and baby need to be patient - the process will take a very long time.

Teething symptoms

It is not at all difficult to understand that a child is starting to teethe. This process makes itself felt a huge amount symptoms. During this period, children's gums become inflamed and their cheeks turn red. In the middle of the swollen gum you can see a small white ball, which after some time will erupt and become a full-fledged tooth. The child is naughty all the time.

There are a lot of symptoms that a baby is teething (more details in the article: symptoms that a baby is teething). The main ones:

According to a survey of young mothers, each tooth is cut differently. The most problematic and painful are the chewing teeth, which have a wide surface and are located at the end of the dentition.

The symptoms described above are given as an example only. They may be different for each baby, or may not be observed at all.

How to help your child get rid of unpleasant sensations?

Not a single parent or even a single doctor can speed up the process of teething in babies. But each of them can help the child, alleviating his condition with the help of folk and medical methods.

Gum massage

Your baby will love the gum massage. To do this, you need to wash your hands thoroughly, and then massage the swollen gums with a clean finger. Movements should be done smoothly, softly, without unnecessary effort. Instead of a finger, you can use a special silicone massage cap, which is sold in pharmacies. One side of it is covered with thin bristles, and the other with thick ones. After the first teeth appear, it can be used as a toothbrush.

If the gums are severely inflamed, then they are carefully treated with a herbal decoction that has anti-inflammatory properties. It could be chamomile, string or oak bark. To carry out the procedure, wrap a bandage around your finger and soak it in a medicinal decoction.

Using teethers

It will be easier for your baby if you give him something to chew on, for example, pieces of fresh fruit or vegetables, crackers or a crust of bread. Pharmacies sell special teethers with liquid inside. Before giving such a toy to a child, it must be placed in the freezer for a few minutes to allow the liquid to cool. When the baby begins to chew on it, the inflamed gums will gradually begin to cool, and the child’s condition will improve.

Medicines

The effectiveness of all these methods depends on the characteristics of each child. They will help some, but not others. Then effective medications come to the rescue. Today there is huge selection special gels, ointments and other topical agents.

The most popular are: “Dentinox”, “Cholisal”, “Baby Doctor first teeth”, “Kalgel”, “Solcoseryl”, “Dantinorm Baby” (we recommend reading: instructions for using Kalgel for children: at what age should it be given? ).

Most of these drugs contain lidocaine or menthol, which create a cooling effect, and after 20 minutes the pain begins to subside. Such medications should be used with caution. It is allowed to use such gels no more than 5 times a day and no longer than three days.

Caring for a baby's first teeth

It is necessary to take care of your toddler’s oral cavity even before the baby’s incisors appear. To do this, you need to take a damp sanitary napkin or a bandage soaked in boiled water, wrap it around a clean finger and gently wipe the mucous membrane of the cheeks and gums. The first baby teeth are cleaned in the same way. When your baby turns one year old, you can start introducing him to a toothbrush. Pharmacies sell special brushes with short, soft bristles. Until the age of two, baby teeth can be brushed without toothpaste. They begin to use it around the 3rd year of a child’s life. The brush needs to be changed once a month.

The first paste should preferably not contain fluoride. Small children do not yet know how to spit and therefore constantly swallow toothpaste while brushing your teeth. As soon as the baby learns to spit, you can start using toothpaste with fluoride, but with a reduced content. A pea-sized amount of paste is enough for one cleaning.

Until the age of two, children's teeth are brushed by their parents. This must be done with extreme caution so as not to cause harm to the teeth, the enamel of which is still too thin. In the 3rd year of life, the child should try to brush his teeth independently, but under the supervision of his parents.

With the advent of a baby, young parents have more and more reasons to rejoice, because every day brings something new: the first smile, the first “aha,” and, of course, the first, and so long-awaited, tooth! It is he who is awaited with great impatience, since for many parents he is a symbol of the next stage in the development of their baby.

Timing of teething in boys

Most often, the first tooth appears at the age of six months.

However, it is worth noting that the development of boys and girls is somewhat different, and the timing of teething is no exception. Due to the characteristics of your body boys may be somewhat behind their peers .

Standards for teeth

The norm is considered to be eight baby teeth , who managed to “hatch” during the first year of the baby’s life. All the rest will definitely appear in the next one and a half to two years.

Nature also provides a certain sequence of teething. In this case, milk teeth may appear together with molars. In order for a child to have a correct bite, it is necessary to ensure that the natural position of the teeth is not disrupted.

Sequence of teething

The correct sequence of tooth growth looks like this:

• The lower central incisors appear first, usually on 6–10 months child's life.
• Central upper incisors – 8–12 months .
• Upper lateral incisors – 9–13 months .
• Lower lateral incisors – exposed to light a little longer, 10–16 months .
• First upper molars - 13–19 months , and then the lower ones - 14–18 months .
• Upper canines – 16–22 months , lower – 17–23 months .
• Second lower molars – 23–31 months, and the second upper molars complete the process of formation of the dentition - 25–33 month.

Symptoms of teething in boys

Starting from 4–8 months of life, the baby’s behavior and well-being begins to change noticeably.

This suggests that a difficult period for the baby and his parents begins when the first teeth begin to cut.

This is easy to notice by the following signs:

• swelling and inflammation of the gums;
• increased salivation;
• the desire to constantly gnaw something, bite, pull foreign objects into the mouth;
• loss of appetite;
• increased tearfulness, frequent mood swings, whims;
• restless sleep;
• diarrhea or, on the contrary, vomiting;
• cough, nasal congestion, increased body temperature.

Each child experiences teething differently: some cause virtually no trouble to their parents, while others experience the most painful period in infancy.

Why do teeth cause such pain to babies? The fact is that, before a tooth appears, it must “cut” its way through the bone tissue, and then through the mucous membrane of the gums.

What dangers does teething pose?

Indeed, unpleasant symptoms such as cough, fever, and diarrhea often accompany the appearance of teeth in a baby. However, you should not be dismissive of their appearance. During teething, the child’s body is most vulnerable, since immune forces are noticeably reduced and the risk of infection with various viral diseases increases.

Cough

Salivation coupled with a slight wet cough are considered within normal limits in a child whose first or next tooth is about to appear.

The saliva, which he simply does not have time to swallow, collects in the throat, and the baby has no choice but to clear his throat in order to be able to breathe normally. As is correct, such a cough lasts no more than 2-3 days and does not require drug treatment.

It’s a completely different matter if the child coughs strongly, often, with anguish and sputum production.. In this case, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and wheezing are observed. In this case, you should not attribute the malaise to teething - you should immediately contact your pediatrician.

Runny nose

During teething, not only salivation increases, but also the amount of mucus released from the nose.

Within normal limits, it is transparent in color, liquid, and the runny nose itself lasts no more than a few days. In this case, it will be enough to rinse your nose to remove accumulated mucus.

But if the mucus becomes thick, greenish or whitish in color, you should consult a specialist.

Fever

The appearance of a tooth is accompanied by increased production of active substances in the gum area. This leads to the fact that the baby’s body temperature can rise to 38 C, which lasts no more than a day.

To alleviate the child’s condition, you should give him an antipyretic drug intended for newborns.

The situation is much more serious if the temperature rises to 39 C or higher, lasts more than two days and is accompanied by other alarming symptoms. You should not delay your visit to the pediatrician, as this may be a sign of a serious illness that requires immediate treatment.

Video about a child's first teeth

There is a joke about mothers, they say, with the first baby everything is washed, ironed, boiled 10 times and every sneeze is controlled, and with the last one - “if the child ate from the cat’s bowl, then this is the cat’s problem.” This is of course an exaggeration, but in some ways the author is right. Mothers of the second or third child are much calmer about the development of their children, they do not panic if the baby does not want to crawl, or is six months old, but there is still no tooth - the pioneer. Sometimes it happens that the appearance of the first incisor is indicated by knocking on the spoon during feeding. But young mothers, having become parents for the first time, usually focus on norms, look for them, and constantly try to compare their child with the neighbor’s baby. At what months do children’s first teeth erupt and in what sequence do “nightmares” grow? It’s worth understanding in more detail.

In Soviet times, it was believed that the norm for a baby to cut its first tooth was six months of age. Modern pediatricians are more democratic and limit this period to 4 to 8 months. The star of Belarusian pediatrics, Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky, emphasizes the individuality of each baby. There are cases when a baby is born with a couple of teeth, and there are babies who have not yet developed their first “bite” even at one year old. The most important thing is that this is not a reason for parental panic; at most, professional advice is required. He will calm mom down. This is all he can do at this stage of development of the masticatory apparatus. As Dr. Komarovsky says, there is simply no pill to start teething.

Significant factors influencing the rate of appearance of the first teeth include:

• Heredity. If the baby was pleased with the first white miracle at 3 months or, on the contrary, shows a toothless smile when 10-month-old peers already have 4-6 teeth, then genes may be to blame. It’s worth asking how many months your mom or dad had their teeth done.
• Difficult pregnancy and premature birth. In premature babies, the timing of teething coincides with their biological age, and not with the date on the birth certificate.
• Specifics climate zone accommodation and food options. The growth of teeth is directly affected by the amount of dairy products consumed and vitamin D produced under the influence of sunlight. For bottle-fed babies, the process may be delayed.
• Infections. Illnesses suffered during infancy, such as pneumonia, can also delay the appearance of the first incisors.

“Precursors” of teeth and eruption schedule according to norms

Agree, mothers of children in their first year of life tend to explain every runny nose, diarrhea, and fever with the imminent appearance of another tooth. The baby may experience symptoms that are considered to be dental precursors:

• Whims and crying for no apparent reason
• Anxious dream
• Decreased appetite, upset stool
• Trying to put everything in your mouth
• Fever
• Cough and runny nose
• Increased salivation

If there are obvious symptoms of ARVI, you should show the baby to a pediatrician, and not make a diagnosis yourself. Even if the edge of the tooth really appears and the gums are swollen, you should not put your hands into the baby’s mouth. It can cause an infection in the inflamed mucous membrane, causing thrush or stomatitis.

Typically, there are several stages during which a baby’s baby teeth appear. There is nothing to worry about if some of them change places for your child. In some babies, the fangs grow first or the order of appearance of the upper and lower incisors is reversed.

1. 6-8 months – central incisors from below
2. 8-9 months – central incisors from above
3. 9-13 months – lateral incisors
4. 12-15 months – pairs of small molars (2 above and 2 below)
5. 16-20 months – fangs
6. 24-30 months – large molars are the most posterior molars.

It turns out that by the age of 2.5 years, a baby’s jaws should be decorated with 20 teeth. Teeth do not erupt in 2 days; this painful process can take from 1 week to 2 months.

There is no clear answer to the question of which teeth break through most painfully. In one baby, only the lower incisors have difficulty sprouting, while the rest erupt quite calmly. There is no way to ask the baby which tooth came out of the gum more painfully. But there is an assumption that the most painful are the eye fangs (upper), their roots are located close to the facial nerve. Large molars, due to their size, injure the gums more during eruption than thin incisors.

Statistics show Interesting Facts: girls become “toothy” faster than boys; the first child in the family’s physical development, including the growth of baby teeth, is faster than the development of subsequent children. Children of more mature parents cut teeth faster than babies of young couples.

Deviations

Only a specialist can determine the pathology of the development of the first “biters”. There are several types of deviations from the norm:

• Intrauterine eruption. When the baby is born already “toothed”, the mother is offered an unpleasant procedure - to remove the newborn’s incisors so that he cannot injure the nipples when breastfeeding. The measure is quite harsh, because the child will remain without front teeth until he is 6-7 years old. This is when it is time for permanent teeth to emerge.
• Delayed eruption. We begin to talk about deviations in the formation of teeth only if the central incisors do not appear until 1.5 years of age.
• An extremely rare congenital anomaly is edentia. The child does not have dental buds initially; they did not appear at the stage of intrauterine development of the fetus under the influence of any factors.
• Hematomas during eruption. In most cases they pass without a trace. It is extremely rare that a formation can grow quickly, which requires medical intervention.

Memo for parents

The process of the first teeth appearing is very unpleasant, but it cannot be avoided. Parents can help the baby cope with pain and discomfort. Cutting is not a disease, so walks and games are necessary and important, they will distract the child from unpleasant sensations. With reduced immunity, mothers should avoid crowded places to reduce the risk of contracting an infection. Simple measures will help you cope with the appearance of teeth more easily:

• Special pharmaceutical toys – teethers with a corrugated surface – will help you “scratch” your gums. The ideal option is with gel inside; it needs to be kept in the refrigerator so that later the baby can cool the inflamed gums. It is better not to use the hemp and dryings beloved by grandmothers if there is at least one tooth. There is a risk that the baby will choke on a bitten piece.
• Children under 3 years old should not be given candy or other sweets. They are great at eating tasteless foods because they don’t yet have taste preferences. It's amazing how much broccoli and cauliflower puree can be consumed with pleasure.
• Oral hygiene begins as early as possible; it is easier to prevent the occurrence of caries than to later persuade the child to treat a tooth. Silicone finger brushes have been invented for the little ones.
• Temperature during eruption rarely rises above 37.5 degrees Celsius. If she has crossed the threshold of 38 degrees, then antipyretic drugs can be used. They will bring down the temperature and relieve pain.
• Pharmacies offer a wide range of pain-relieving gels for gums based on Ledocaine. Consultation with a physician is required before use.
• It is better not to use grandma’s herbal methods at such an early age. Allergic reactions are possible.
• If teething is painful, it is better to forget about vaccinations for a while.

When baby teeth appear, the main function of parents is not just to observe, periodically looking into the baby’s mouth, but to surround him with maximum care. Think not about whether he fits within the norm, but to help this defenseless baby cope with unpleasant sensations and, if necessary, correct deviations in time. The baby plays an important role in the formation of the masticatory apparatus. proper nutrition nursing mother and complete complementary feeding of the baby. Two years will fly by unnoticed - instead of a charming toothless smile, a white-toothed one will appear.

New parents want to know as much as possible about how their baby will develop. They are interested in when he starts smiling, when he sits up, crawls and takes his first steps. But one of the main questions concerns the appearance of the first teeth in children. Surely most of them have heard from experienced girlfriends and friends about how difficult this process is and how many sleepless nights they had to endure. But don't panic in advance. Firstly, all children develop individually and it is not at all necessary that your baby will cause you a lot of inconvenience. And secondly, not all children develop their first teeth at the same time. We will tell you how this happens in our article.

The first months of life the baby smiles with a toothless smile. But by the half-year, everything could change. Typically, babies begin to erupt their first teeth by 6-7 months. However, sometimes this process is accelerated or, conversely, delayed, which is also the norm. Therefore, it is difficult to say exactly how many first teeth children will have by 12 months. It all depends on a number of factors:

• genetic predisposition;
• calcium content in the body;
• climatic living conditions, etc.

As a rule, teeth erupt in pairs. This means that 2-3 weeks after the first one appears, the second one will definitely follow. Well, parents who are worried that their child’s teeth are not erupting according to norms should be reassured that the speed of their appearance does not in any way affect longevity and health.

Symptoms of teething in a baby

For most children, “growing” teeth causes discomfort and sometimes even pain. You just need to survive this negative moment for the baby. And, despite the fact that the process of teething is purely individual, it’s definitely not possible to miss a child’s first tooth (pictured below). It makes its way through the bone tissue and mucous membrane of the gums. At first, a barely noticeable white line appears, and after a few days a whole tooth “grows.”

But the baby’s teething symptoms appear at least a week before the onset of this event. They are indicated by the following signs:

• inflammation and redness of the gums;
• sleep disturbance;
• restlessness and irritability uncharacteristic for a baby;
• excessive salivation;
• runny nose, nasal congestion;
• lack of appetite;
• diarrhea;
• temperature rise to 38°.

It is not at all necessary that the child will be bothered by absolutely all of these symptoms. Yes, and feeling unwell normally only lasts for a few days. If the symptoms persist and there are still no teeth, you should definitely consult a pediatrician.

When should you see a doctor?

When the first teeth erupt in children, simultaneously with the appearance of the above symptoms, a decrease in immunity occurs. Therefore, it is possible that these signs will hide a viral or intestinal infection. Only a pediatrician can dispel a mother’s doubts about the baby’s health. You must contact them in the following cases:

• temperature rise to 38-39°;
• diarrhea;
• runny nose;
• cough;
• the appearance of ulcers on the oral mucosa.

The above teething symptoms cannot last more than three days. Otherwise, this may indicate a viral infection.

Which teeth come out first for a child?

Both pediatricians and dentists are of the same opinion about the sequence in which teething should occur. But not all children want to follow the instructions of adults. If we talk specifically about which tooth the child will have first, whether it will be on the upper or lower jaw, then there are rules here. According to norms, the lower incisors erupt first. As a rule, they grow in pairs. First, a tooth may erupt on the right, and then on the left, with a difference of 3-7 days.

However, there are often exceptions to the rules. There is nothing wrong with this either, since each organism is individual.

Teething sequence

The generally accepted order in which a child's first teeth appear is as follows:

• 6-7 months - lower central 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 - fangs;
• 20-30 months - second molars.

Above are the teething standards followed by pediatricians and dentists around the world. But it's impossible to specify the exact date the appearance of the first teeth in children. And which of them will grow earlier than others can be clearly seen from the diagram. As a rule, the lower incisors erupt first, followed by the upper incisors after 1-2 months. Small deviations in one direction or another are the norm. The main thing is to adhere to the rule that at 12 months the child must have at least 1 tooth. If this is not the case, then you should immediately contact your dentist.

Causes for concern

The first teeth that have not erupted in children by a certain age cause real panic in many parents. In fact, not everything is as scary as it might seem at first. This early, late eruption was considered a sign of rickets or a lack of calcium in the body. But still, significant deviations from the deadlines may indicate certain disorders in the body:

• late eruption - for disorders in metabolism or intestinal functioning;
• early appearance of teeth - problems in the functioning of the endocrine system;
• violation of the sequence of eruption, formation of teeth non-standard in shape and position - for anomalies in development or diseases suffered during pregnancy;
• An increase in temperature above 39° indicates a viral or infectious disease, or other disturbances in the functioning of the child’s body.

All of the above problems do not always indicate developmental disorders and diseases, but are only a reason to visit a dentist.

How to relieve teething pain?

When children's first milk teeth appear, crying is heard in every home. The following means will help your child survive this unpleasant moment:

1. Teether toys. With soft rubber rings filled with water or gel inside, the baby enjoys massaging his gums. To relieve pain and eliminate swelling, it is recommended to pre-cool gel teethers in the refrigerator.
2. Homeopathic medicines (Dentokind, Dantinorm baby). They allow you to eliminate painful phenomena during teething, accompanied by fever and diarrhea. Drugs in tablet form are dissolved in a teaspoon of water and offered to the baby half an hour before feeding twice a day. The desired effect can only be achieved with long-term use.
3. You can carry it out with your finger, having thoroughly washed your hands before doing this, or with a special fingertip with a brush. The massage should be careful not to injure the gums.

During teething, excessive salivation can irritate the baby's delicate skin on the chin and neck. During this time, your child is advised to wear a bib and wipe away any saliva that may cause rashes and irritation.

Teething gels

The pain that accompanies the process of the appearance of the first teeth in children can be relieved with the help of topical medications. Teething gels are absolutely safe for babies, but provide a short-term analgesic effect for no more than 2 hours. But at the same time, the desired effect can be achieved within 2-3 minutes after application.

All teething gels can be divided into groups:

1. Topical preparations based on lidocaine, providing quick but short-term results.
2. Homeopathic gels containing plant extracts that have an anti-inflammatory effect.
3. Preparations based on antiseptics, which have a stronger composition and act as effectively as possible.

Before using this or that gel, it is recommended to study the instructions for its use in order to prevent the child from developing an allergic reaction.

Use of traditional medicine

Some parents are wary of using medications for teething. They prefer folk remedies:

1. Massage the gums with a finger wrapped in a bandage and soaked in hydrogen peroxide.
2. Using a refrigerated pacifier or silver spoon as an alternative to teething toys.
3. Lubricating the gums with honey, which has a soothing effect.
4. Rubbing inflamed gums with chamomile decoction, which has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
5. Lubricating the area near the mouth with baby cream to avoid irritation from excessive salivation.

However, pediatricians and dentists do not share the opinions of parents on the use of products traditional medicine, since some of them can cause an allergic reaction in the child.

Oral care

With the appearance of baby teeth, parents have new responsibilities. From now on, they should pay due attention to the cleanliness of the oral cavity. Regardless of what time a child’s first tooth appears above the surface of the gum, it needs care. To do this, it is recommended to use a special silicone attachment on a finger or bandage soaked in boiled water.

After a year, when the baby no longer has one, but 6-8 teeth, you can purchase a toothbrush with soft bristles and toothpaste with a minimum fluoride content. Cleaning should be done by parents. All actions must be careful so as not to damage the thin and fragile enamel.

Early care not only ensures the prevention of dental diseases, but also from childhood promotes the formation of a healthy habit of brushing your teeth in the morning and evening.

Doctor Komarovsky about the first teeth

A famous pediatrician has his own opinion about teething:

1. He believes that a violation of the sequence of appearance of teeth is not a sign of any disease.
2. According to Dr. Komarovsky, a deviation from the timing of eruption by 6 months in one direction or another is not considered a pathology.
3. There are no ways to influence the speed and order of teeth eruption.

Dr. Komarovsky is positive about gum-cooling teething toys, but does not recommend using bagels and cookies instead, as some parents do, as this can lead to dire consequences.