The appearance of the first teeth in a baby is an event that any parents, both inexperienced and those who have raised several children, are waiting impatiently and fearfully. No wonder - this is often (although not always) accompanied by crying, sleepless nights and other delights. Therefore, it would not be out of place to study the question, even in theory, in order to avoid mistakes that are often made by young parents.
When does the first tooth appear?
Of course, first of all, the question of parents arises - what time the first teeth are cut.
Surprisingly, although the baby is born toothless, their rudiments form during pregnancy. And by about six to eight months the first teeth appear. And usually the most “impatient” are the lower central incisors. They bite with an interval of only a few weeks, and sometimes days. After this, the child begins to taste everything, including the mother’s breast, giving her many unpleasant moments. However, all this is abundantly covered by the joy of motherhood, by the emotions that any normal woman experiences when looking at the baby’s half-edentulous smile.
However, a date of six to eight months is quite generalized. Some parents, having learned how many months the first tooth appears, start to panic if the child does not fit into the schedule or, on the contrary, is ahead of him.
When teeth go out of date
If the teeth appeared earlier - it's okay, it happens. But if at eight months the teeth are not even going to bite, this is an alarming sign. Of course, it happens that they simply appear late in a few weeks. But sometimes the lack of teeth can be an indicator of the development of rickets or the consequence of malnutrition.
But in general, do not worry - the teeth will still appear. The main thing is to properly balance the diet and often feed the baby with breast milk, if possible.
It is also worth learning more about heredity - if parents have their teeth bite late, then such a fate can await the child. This can be a consequence of a mother’s illness during pregnancy. Finally, in premature babies, teeth also appear noticeably later.
In general, knowledge of what time the first teeth appear is only an approximate indicator. An alarm should be struck only if the child is already a year old and there is not a single tooth in his mouth.
The main symptoms of teething
Knowing what time the first teeth appear in children, parents cautiously wait for this event and still often miss it. How to notice the appearance of the first tooth in a timely manner?
First of all, you need to monitor the behavior of the child. In the vast majority of cases, it gives very noticeable signals.
For starters, these days he becomes especially whiny. Even the calmest child in the evenings begins to cry or whimper until his parents pick him up. However, even many hours of motion sickness does not always allow you to achieve the desired result - the child sleeps little and at the same time does not allow others to fall asleep.
In addition, he begins to gnaw at almost everything he reaches out to - from his favorite toys and a dummy, to the bed and fingers of his parents, who are dangerously close to the still toothless mouth.
Quite often, the temperature rises - up to 37.5 degrees, and in some cases even higher.
Finally, drool begins to flow from him. Moreover, it is very plentiful - all the objects that he nibbles are literally saturated with saliva.
Having noticed at least a couple of these symptoms, we can confidently say that very soon one or two more teeth will become in your child’s mouth.
Teething sequence
Many parents are quite expected to be concerned not only at what time the baby first tooth appears, but also the order of their teething. Of course, the terms here can vary significantly - up to two to three months. But on average, the sequence remains, and the approximate time of occurrence coincides.
So, after the central lower incisors are the central upper ones - they appear at the age of 8-10 months. It was at this time that the mother would have the greatest problems with breastfeeding. The child begins to actively bite everything in a row, often leaving bleeding wounds on the nipple. This stage will be a real test that must be endured. However, some children at this age almost no longer need breast milk, feeding only occasionally, mainly at night. In this case, such an unpleasant facet of motherhood may not be noticed.
The upper lateral incisors appear next - by about 9-12 months.
Then a break often follows. Only by 11-14 months a couple more teeth appear - the lower lateral incisors.
A serious test will be fangs. The upper and lower peck around the age of 18-22 months, and their sequence may vary in different children. They are often cut through the hardest, causing the child to seriously suffer, and at the same time not to give the slightest rest to parents.
Upper and lower molars usually peck at 12-15 months. However, they do not cause any particular problems - the child is already enduring their appearance, and parents may not even immediately notice this important event.
The last on the scene are the second molars - upper and lower. Their appearance also often goes unnoticed, and this happens already at the age of two years and even later.
By what age should all teeth hatch?
Based on the foregoing, it can be assumed that the last teeth are biting already at the age of two to three years. More precisely, it depends on the heredity of the child, nutrition, past illnesses and a number of other factors.
Knowing what time the first tooth appears, it is easy to calculate how much time it generally takes to cut through all twenty. It takes about 2–2.5 years. Of course, a lot of time elapses between tooth biting - from several days to several months. So parents have time to rest and relax in order to prepare for their next teeth.
Do you need gels?
Today, various gels are actively advertised, which are designed to ease the torment of the child with teething.
However, they should be used very carefully - experienced doctors generally recommend abandoning them in favor of ordinary teething.
This is not accidental at all - many gels contain various anesthetics, the regular use of which can lead to serious complications. Increased salivation leads to the fact that relief comes in just a few minutes. After that, the gel is washed off from the gums and enters the stomach.
For example, many gels contain a solution of lidocaine. Over the past year alone, 22 cases of hospitalization and death of infants due to an overdose of such gels were recorded in the United States. Very unpleasant statistics, forcing experienced and prudent parents to abandon a very dangerous drug.
We use teethers
A much safer tool is teethers. You can buy them in almost every pharmacy. They vary in size, shape and color, so that each parent will easily choose the right one. And the cost is not high - most often a hundred rubles or a little more. Yes, they do not relieve pain, but only allow scratching the gums to give the child at least some relief. But they are completely harmless and can prevent attempts to chew on other, less suitable objects.
In addition, many teethers sold in pharmacies are filled with liquid. After removing them in the refrigerator for half an hour, you can cool the gums and further reduce itching. It may not be as effective as anesthetic gels, but it certainly will not lead to health problems or more sad consequences.
Do not give dangerous items
Knowing what time the first teeth climb, it is very important to make sure that by this time the child will not have any foreign objects at hand at risk.
Some parents give their children solid cookies, apples, carrots, cabbage and other edible items, believing that it certainly will not do any harm. Alas, just this is quite dangerous - the child may well bite off a small piece and choke on it. So, to give such things is possible only when the child is under supervision. And in this case, parents should be very careful.
Conclusion
This can end the article. From it you learned what time the first tooth climbs, and what time - the next. And also learned about different ways to facilitate teething. Surely this knowledge will be useful to any young and inexperienced parent and will avoid the many pitfalls associated with caring for a child.