When a baby is born and arrives, our arms do not have any teeth since they must still form to come out in a few months. When a baby begins with the primary teething, he will begin to feel great discomfort in the gums and it is that the teeth already formed must break the flesh to be able to step out and go outside and be able to form the child's teeth.
A baby who is starting to teething will drool a lot more and feel the need to put objects in his mouth to squeeze them with his gums, since this way he finds some relief in this very painful process. Many experts in pediatrics and dentistry assure that adults would not be able to endure so much pain for so long, which is what babies have to put up with until they have all their teeth out.
Primary teeth in children
The teeth vary in size, shape, and location in the jaws. These differences allow the teeth to work together in order to chew properly, speak and smile. They also help the face have a good human shape. At birth, babies usually have primary teeth - also known as baby teeth - that they often erupt around 6 months in babies.
When the baby grows and the teeth fall out and are replaced by the permanent teeth and in adulthood, usually when people reach 21 years, they already have 32 permanent teeth in the jaw.
When they come out
All parents like to have control over when their children's teeth grow, in this way they can check that everything is going well and that their little ones' teeth are growing according to their age and that everything is going correctly. In the case that the months pass and it does not seem that it will grow, then it is always a good option to go to the pediatrician so you can check that everything is going well.
Next I am going to tell you when the times of tooth eruption in children tend to be, but it is worth mentioning that these times usually vary from one child to another, that is, they are not the exact dates that all children of the world are assumed.
Upper teeth
- Central incisor: comes out at 8 or 12 months and falls off at 6 to 7 years
- Lateral incisor: comes out at 9 or 13 months and falls off at 7 to 8 years
- Canine: comes out at 16 or 22 months and falls off at 10 to 12 years
- First molar: it comes out at 13 or 19 months and falls out at 9 to 11 years
- Second molar: it comes out at 25 or 33 months and falls off at 10 to 12 years
Down teeths
- Central incisor: comes out at 6 or 10 months and falls off at 6 to 7 years
- Lateral incisor: comes out at 10 or 16 months and falls off at 7 to 8 years
- Canine: comes out at 17 or 23 months and falls off at 9 to 12 years
- First molar: comes out at 14 or 18 months and falls off at 9 or 11 years
- Second molar: it comes out at 23 or 31 months and falls off at 10 or 12 years
As you can see in the graph, the first teeth begin to break through the gums around 6 months in the baby.. Usually the first two teeth to erupt are the two lower central incisors (the two lower front teeth). Next, the four upper front teeth emerge. After this, other teeth gradually start to emerge normally two by two -one on each side of the lower or upper jaw- until the 2nd teeth appear -10 in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower jaw-. This occurs when the child is between two and a half and three years old.
The complete set of primary teeth will be in the child's mouth when he is three years old and will last until six or seven years which will be when they fall out and give rise to permanent or permanent teeth.
Caring for your baby's teeth
Although it is true that baby teeth last only a few years, these teeth have a great role in the health and life of children. This is why milk teeth must be specially cared for to achieve good oral hygiene in children.
The functions of baby teeth are as follows:
- Reserve space for permanent teeth
- Give the child's face a normal appearance.
- Promote autonomy in learning eating habits.
- Learn to speak correctly and develop a clear speech.
- Help to achieve good nutrition (if all the teeth are not there or there are cavities, it will be difficult to chew causing children to reject food because it is annoying to eat).
- Help children have healthy permanent teeth if they are well cared for (cavities or oral infections can cause permanent damage under baby teeth and seriously affect permanent and damaged teeth).
It is for all this that the dental hygiene of babies since the first tooth appears is very important, but it is necessary to know some things about it.
When the first teeth appear, it is not necessary to brush children's teeth as it can be annoying and also, that they generate fear or aversion to brushing, so it could be a problem for the future, when they want to develop good oral hygiene habits. In this sense, the following should be noted:
- When the first teeth appear, they can be cleaned with a sterile gauze (the kind they sell in pharmacies) a little damp and nothing else. If the child does not want to or bothers you, do not insist.
- When the little one has passed the two years, you can start to introduce the habits to brush their teeth with a special brush for two-year-olds and with a special paste also for two-year-olds.