When you come to the pediatrician’s appointment, he always checks the child’s teeth: do they correspond to the general physiological norm. Why is this so important? The fact is that the sequence and timing of teething in children can indicate the characteristics of the body, the presence of serious diseases, acceleration, or vice versa, developmental retardation.
Most often, the late appearance of teeth can be a consequence of diseases of the endocrine system or rickets. If the baby was born prematurely, received birth injuries, suffered severe infectious and inflammatory diseases, and underwent antibiotic treatment shortly after birth, then it is natural to expect a delay in the appearance of teeth.
But it is not all that bad. If the child outwardly feels normal, and the first tooth still appeared closer to the year, then take an interest in how this process occurred in the families of relatives. After all, the timing of teething in children is very individual, and the hereditary factor is one of the most important
Doctors are guided by the average terms of teething in children, but in recent years there has been a clear tendency towards their earlier appearance. Some cases were recorded when the first tooth appeared in the first months, and sometimes in the first weeks after birth. But such acceleration should be treated with caution, because such too early teeth can be more fragile due to insufficient tissue formation.
The physiological chart of tooth growth in children is normal as follows:
- The first incisors appear above and below: 6 - 8.5 months;
- second in a row - lateral incisors above and below: 8.5 - 12 months;
- then the first molars: a year and a half years;
- after that milk fangs are cut: a year and a half - a year and 9 months;
- the second milk molars appear last: a year and nine months - two and a half years.
Thus, a milk bite is usually fully formed by 2.5 years.
Teething succession in children is also very important, because irregularities often lead to malocclusion. The teeth should appear in pairs, in turn from the left and right side. First, the lower teeth erupt in the center, then the upper ones above them, only then the so-called “deuce” - lateral incisors. Fangs appear after the fourth teeth, and the second upper milk molars are expected by the fifth pair in the milk bite.
Permanent teeth begin to erupt during the period of existence of the milk bite: two pairs of sixth teeth are already molars. Then the milk teeth in the same order are changed to permanent, and only after that do the seventh molars appear. Wisdom teeth erupt already in adulthood, may not appear at all - this is not considered a pathology.
We discussed the timing of teething in children, now it’s time to move on to the care of the teeth that have appeared. Very often, at the age of one and a half years, the so-called "bottle caries" appears in children. The reasons for this are night feeding, which provokes poor oral hygiene. Soft plaque contains a very large number of bacteria that secrete acid. The enamel is corroded and tooth decay occurs. At night, salivation is physiologically lower than during the day, so an especially favorable environment is created for bacteria.
It is worth noting that in children who receive breast milk, caries occurs several times less than in those who are fed milk formula, because breast milk successfully supports the immune system.
If you do not carefully care about hygiene, then children can experience not only caries, but also stomatitis - inflammation of the oral mucosa. This is a very painful disease, which often provokes an increase in temperature, general poor health, loss of appetite.
Therefore, dentists teach that oral care should be started from the moment the first tooth appears. Gently wipe it with a soft brush in the morning and evening. The child will quickly get used to this procedure, you will form a useful personal care skill for him, and his teeth will be protected from caries. Then going to the dentist will not be stressful for the child, but only a pleasant and not terrible prevention.