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Baby Teeth, Teething and Infant teething
Also known as primary teeth
or deciduous teeth, baby teeth refers to he teeth that children grow. Unlike permanent teeth or adult teeth, baby
teeth are temporary and fall out to make way for permanent teeth. Baby teeth are teeth that are designed to
fit infant jaws that are far too small to accommodate permanent teeth. Baby teeth grow in children through the
process of teething and remain in a child until their jaws have grown to its
mature size.
Infant teething begins between
the ages of 6 months to 1 year of a baby’s life when baby teeth begin to push
through the gums. This stage is
referred to as the eruption of teething and this is a process that continues until
a child has reached the age of six. At
the point of the eruption of teething, the formation of the crown (the portion
of a tooth covered by enamel) is completed and the root is almost fully formed.
The early infant teething process continues until the child has reached the age
of three. By this age, the child should
have a set of twenty baby teeth with a total of ten teeth in the lower jaw and
ten teeth in the upper jaw. Each jaw
contains a set of baby teeth that is comprised of four incisor teeth, two
canine teeth, and four molars. The
function of baby teeth is vital to a child’s development, as their molar teeth
are used to grind food while the incisors and canine teeth are used to bite
into and tear food.
Teething usually continues
until the age of six where the child’s jaw and jaw muscles have grown to the
size and strength needed to support permanent teeth. By this point, children will begin to lose their baby teeth as
permanent teeth begin to push through their gums. These stages of teething are an essential component to healthy
teeth development. However, to reach
this stage of permanent teeth growth, it is important that parents ensure their
child’s oral health as they go through infant teething.
Some issues that parents
should be aware of when their children are undergoing the teething process
include:
·
Beginning regular
dental check-ups for their children between the times of their child’s first
tooth and their first birthday. Regular
dental check-ups will go a long way to ensuring healthy teeth development in a
child.
·
Brushing their child’s
baby teeth after they have appeared with a soft-bristled toothbrush and
water. This will help prevent tooth
decay in a child’s baby teeth.
Toothpaste should not be used until the child has reached the age of
two.
·
Often parents become
concerned when eruption cyst develops. These cysts occur after a baby tooth is pushing up through the
gums and the tooth will eventually replace this watery sac as it grows. These are generally harmless and parents
should not attempt to get rid of these eruption cysts.
·
Often sore or tender
gums will become noticeable as babies begin to teeth. To help the child, it is recommended that parents gently rub
their child’s gum with either: a clean finger; a small, cool spoon; or a wet
gauze pad. Sometimes, dentists will
recommend the use of a pacifier, teething ring, or a special ”numbing” salve to
help the child’s gums handle infant teething.
·
Although teething is a
stage that every child has to go through, there are some signs that parents
should look for that may indicate that infant teething is developing in an
irregular way. Fussiness,
sleeplessness, irritability, appetite loss, or drooling is not unusual behavior
for babies during teething. However,
conditions like diarrhea, rashes, and fever are not normal and a physician
should be contacted if any of these behaviors continue.
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