Things the Tooth Fairy Wants You to Know About Your Baby’s Teeth

For generations, the Tooth Fairy has been around putting money under the pillows of children in exchange for a lost tooth. But there are things she wants you to know about child teeth.

Milk teeth, also known as children’s teeth, Deciduous teeth or child teeth play a vital role in the process of digestion of food and in reserving the space for permanent teeth. While teething can begin as early as when your little one is just three months old, in most of the cases, you’ll see the first tooth start pushing through your baby’s gum line in between 4 and 7 months. However, it is not necessary that every baby gets his/her first tooth during this time. Some babies can have a slight delay in this process, which is quite normal.

During the period of eruption of baby teeth, they suffer from restlessness and discomfort because of irritation in their gums. They even develop an irresistible urge to chew, so they start biting their hands, fingers, or whatever they find. If you can see your baby doing such things, it most likely they are going to have their first tooth.

Eruption time

Unlike adults, babies have a total of 20 primary teeth inside their mouth. 10 in upper and other 10 in the lower jaw. The type of teeth are – incisors, canines and molars and eruption time for each teeth type are different. Incisors erupt when your baby is around 6 to 12 months. Canines erupt when your baby reaches 16 to 21 months of age. First molars erupt in between 12 to 19 months whereas second molars erupt in between 25 to 32 months.

There are lots of changes that take place in babies while they are going through this process. Babies even suffer from short term health problems like fever, stomach ache, irritation, drooling, swollen gums, and loose motions. If your baby is going through these problems, you should take your baby to a pediatrician near you. The pediatrician will suggest some remedies that will help your child in being comfortable during this period.

Process of Teeth Eruption

Since a baby is born then after every 6 months, nearly 4 teeth erupt. In this way, by the time your baby reaches the age of 2 to 3 years, all the primary teeth get erupted. Primary teeth are whiter in color and are comparatively smaller than permanent teeth. Usually, the first two incisors erupt in the lower jaw and then in the upper jaw and both teeth in pairs. After 4 years of age, the facial bones and jaw of your child will begin to expand creating some space in between primary teeth so that permanent teeth can emerge in that spaces because as they are bigger.

Helpful Tips for Healthy Teeth

• Use a soft, moistened washcloth to gently wipe down your baby’s gums at least twice a day, especially after feedings them or during at night for clean teeth.
• Once your child gets the full-grown primary teeth, make sure to brush their teeth properly with a soft brush twice a day. You should brush your baby’s teeth until he or she is old enough to hold the brush, which usually happens when they are 5-6 years of age.
• Use toothpaste with fluoride as it makes enamel strong and also prevents tooth decay.
• Often when babies are about to get primary teeth, their gums become tender and swollen. In that case, you can give massage to your baby’s gums with your clean fingers to reduce their discomfort.
• If your baby has a cavity on teeth, make sure you get them treated from a dentist. The cavities can impact roots and spread bacteria to their permanent teeth, potentially causing more cavities or gum disease when they grow up.
• Avoid giving your child sodas, fruit juices, and other sugary drinks as they can settle on their teeth, causing decay. Don’t put anything sweet (sugar or honey) on your baby’s pacifier.
• Primary teeth are not as strong as permanent teeth so you should never give your baby anything hard to eat or chew as they may cause teeth pain. You should even keep the hard and small objects or toys away from your baby because, with an increased urge to chew on something, your baby might keep that object in his/her mouth or worse, swallow it.

Well, there you have it, a few key things that the Tooth Fairy wants you to remember. Follow the tooth fairy’s advice and don’t forget to bring your child to the dentist upon eruption of their first tooth, or by their first birthday, and then twice a year after that. Need a new family dentist? Find the best dentist in Lucknow at Midland Healthcare & Research Center.