One of the most unpleasant memories of parents from the first year of their baby's life is associated with teething. During this period, many of them had to survive sleepless nights, the vagaries of a child, impaired stool and appetite, fever and other signs. The teeth of the baby are cut long and painfully. The task of parents is to help the baby survive this period as easily as possible and to avoid possible complications. Teething highlights are described in our article.
When does teething in children begin?
This question interests every young mother without exception. Many parents do not know the code to expect the appearance of teeth in their baby, so every cry is attributed either to colic in the stomach or to the beginning of the teething process. But it is worth noting that this issue is purely individual and depends on the particular development of a particular baby. In general, there is a pattern that the first teeth in an infant appear at the age of 6 months.
If by half a year the incisors have not yet erupted, then you should not be upset and look for reasons why your child is not like all children. Teeth will definitely appear, but a little later. It remains only to be patient and wait. But teething symptoms may appear long before the first teeth appear. It may take two or three months before the baby can please you with a real "adult" smile. The first signs of this complex physiological process usually appear at the age of 3-4 months.
How teeth and babies are cut : sequence
The process of teething is natural. Teeth do not appear spontaneously as they please. In general, the process of how teething teeth in infants can be represented in the form of the following scheme:
- 6-7 months - central lower incisors;
- 8-9 months - the central upper incisors;
- 9-11 months - upper lateral incisors;
- 11-13 months - lower lateral incisors;
- 12-15 months - the upper and lower first molars;
- 18-20 months - upper and lower fangs;
- 20-30 months - upper and lower second molars.
There is a certain norm, according to which the baby’s teeth appear at a certain age. Again, it is conditional and depends on the characteristics of the development of an individual child. So, to determine the number of teeth, you need to subtract six from the age of the baby in months. For example, if a child is 12 months old, then he should normally have 6 teeth by this age.
Also, parents will be interested to know that teeth appear in pairs. This means that if the first incisor cut through from below, then the second one will appear after it with an interval of several days. If the pairing is broken, this may indicate a congenital anomaly. In this case, you may need to consult a specialist.
The sequence of teething does not always coincide with that followed by pediatricians and dentists. So, the upper teeth in infants can appear much earlier than the central lower incisors. This should not be a concern to parents. This is an individual feature that does not carry anything bad.
Early and late appearance of teeth in a child
In all children, the teething process starts at different times. Already at the age of one month, the teeth begin to cut inside the gums. But for some, they go out early - at 3 months, and others late - at 10-11 months. What is the reason for this?
Doctors explain early teething in infants by taking vitamin-mineral complexes during pregnancy. But in rare cases, incisors can appear even before the age of three months. In these cases, the child is recommended to be examined by an endocrinologist, since such an anomaly may be associated with hormonal developmental disorders.
Causes of late teething may be associated with:
- rickets;
- immunocompromised;
- endocrine diseases;
- unbalanced diet;
- premature birth;
- adentia (complete absence of the rudiments of primary teeth).
If a child does not have a first tooth by the age of one, it must be shown to a specialist to rule out congenital pathology.
Signs of teething in infants
Experienced parents await the onset of precisely this period in the life of the baby. After all, they know firsthand that teething is not asymptomatic. Moreover, various signs of this physiological process appear before the exit of each tooth. But even in the same child, incisors, molars and fangs can erupt with different symptoms. The first signs are usually observed 1-2 months before the appearance of the first unit of the dentition.
So, the symptoms of teeth in an infant are as follows:
- Increased salivation.
- Sleep disturbance - it becomes intermittent and is accompanied by crying.
- Inflamed and swollen gums. When teething in infants, any touch of the gum causes the child pain and is accompanied by crying.
- Lack of appetite.
- Change in behavior. The child becomes moody, often asks in his arms, refuses to play on his own. He begins to pull various objects and toys into his mouth, combing the swollen gums in this way. At this time, the child can periodically be offered various toys, some of which have a cooling effect.
- The appearance of signs of general intoxication (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea).
- Runny nose, fever. Parents often take these symptoms as the onset of the disease and begin to intensively stuff the child with medicines. The pediatrician will help to clarify the situation, which must be called to the house when the temperature rises.
About how the process of teething in babies proceeds, the photo provided above conveys in the best way.
When to take emergency measures?
It is not necessary that in one child absolutely all symptoms of teething in infants will manifest themselves. One baby may have diarrhea, another will have a fever at the same time, a third will lose appetite, etc. In any case, during this period, parents should be attentive to the behavior of their child. During teething, immunity becomes weak, and the child is more susceptible to various diseases. The following symptoms are especially dangerous:
- Cough. During teething, it can be caused by increased salivation. In this case, the cough is rare and usually intensifies the moment the child lies. If it becomes obsessive, lasts more than two days and prevents the child from sleeping, infection can be suspected.
- Runny nose. When teething, discharge from the nose should be transparent. They usually pass in 3 days. If the discharge becomes thick and turns yellow or green, this may indicate a disease.
- Temperature rise. Normally, it should not be higher than 38 °. At the same time, this temperature is easily lost by antipyretic drugs and is not accompanied by coughing, sneezing and runny nose. As a rule, the teething temperature lasts no more than two days.
- Diarrhea. An intestinal upset can be caused by increased salivation. Excessive salivation leads to increased intestinal motility. Diarrhea should not cause concern 2-3 times a day. at the same time, more frequent stools are dangerous because they can lead to dehydration.
- Stomatitis. As a result of weakened immunity, sores and wounds may appear on the mucous membrane inside the mouth.
How to relieve pain for a baby?
Every parent wants to help their child. To do this, he takes all measures to relieve pain during teething in the baby (pictured). The most effective methods include:
- Special silicone toys filled with gel or liquid inside. They are designed to relieve pain and swelling of the gums. Before giving the child a toy, they put it in the refrigerator for a while. Cold relieves pain, relieves swelling, eases the baby's condition.
- Galetny cookies. The child does not eat it, but simply rubs the gum against it, grinding off only the smallest part of the product. At the same time, cookies are definitely not harder than toys and it will not work to injure the gum about it.
- A bib or napkin on your neck can help prevent skin rashes and irritations, which are usually the result of increased salivation.
- Gels and ointments with anesthetic effect.
- Gum massage. It is recommended to do it using a silicone fingertip. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times a day and lasts no more than a minute, so as not to injure the gums.
Teething gels
Many parents use special medications to alleviate the condition of the child during the period when the teeth come out in infants. These include gels that have a local anesthetic effect on the gums. They can be divided into three groups:
- Gels that contain lidocaine. Such drugs provide an instant, but short-term effect. These include: Dentinox, Calgel,
- Homeopathic gels based on extracts of medicinal plants. Such drugs differ in their natural composition, having an anti-inflammatory effect on the gums. But they have one serious drawback - they can cause allergies and irritation in a child. These include: Baby Doctor, Pansoral.
- Gels, which contain antiseptic and anti-inflammatory drugs. Such drugs have a stronger composition and have a lasting effect. These include: Holisal, Denthol.
In addition to the above drugs, there are also combined effects. Before using this or that gel, you should carefully study the instructions. When using topical preparations, the following recommendations should be used:
- apply them only with severe discomfort in the child;
- they can be used every 3 hours, but no more than 5 times a day;
- use a small amount of gel at a time;
- apply it with your finger, after washing your hands with soap.
Are Your Teeth Healthy: Concerns
After teething, parents expect to see white teeth in the baby. But not always their desires coincide with reality. In some cases, the shade of the incisors is far from ideal. Parents should pay special attention to this moment.
The color of the first teeth in infants will tell about the baby’s health:
- A tan shade confirms that the mother took antibiotics during teething or the baby during teething.
- A yellowish green hue may indicate abnormalities in the blood structure. To exclude the disease, a general analysis should be taken.
- A reddish tinge indicates a congenital disorder of the porphyrin pigment exchange process.
- Black color at the base of the tooth can be a signal for the development of chronic inflammatory diseases.
Dr. Komarovsky’s opinion on teething in infants
The famous pediatrician has his own vision of this physiological process. The most difficult thing for teething in infants, in his opinion, is that parents refuse to believe the doctor that he can not affect this condition.
What Dr. Komarovsky advises:
- Use only special silicone toys to facilitate teething, but not apples, cookies, bagels or carrots.
- Violation of the teething sequence is not a sign of illness.
- Deviation from the timing of the appearance of the first teeth for 6 months in one direction or another is the norm.
- There are no ways to influence the speed, time and teething sequence.
- Dr. Komarovsky does not advise doing gum massage to accelerate the exit of teeth outside.
- The pediatrician does not recommend the use of topical gels. In his opinion, anti-inflammatory suppositories, which should be used at night, have the greatest effect.
- The first visit to the dentist should occur no later than the age of 1 year. The doctor will be able to tell how correctly the process of teething and gum formation proceeds, to assess the condition of the frenum of the tongue, etc.
Tips for parents: how to survive teething in a child
First of all, it should be noted that this process is physiological, natural, and it will not be possible to avoid it. Parents should be prepared for the appearance of signs of this condition and try to enter the position of the baby, relieve his pain and not break down on their own child about this. Teeth in babies will certainly appear when the time comes, and the task of parents is to make this process as easy as possible for the child and the family as a whole.
Parents need to take care in advance of acquiring funds that can relieve pain. We are talking about special toys that promote teething. But whether or not to get painkillers gels depends on the personal beliefs of the parents. Pediatricians are advised to abandon them if there is an allergy in the child to herbs and components of drugs.