The order (scheme) of eruption of milk teeth in children

While still in the maternity hospital, the mother receives all the necessary primary information on how to properly care for the baby in the first few months of life: bathe, feed, walk with him, etc. At this time, it seems to parents that it is too early to think about teething.

But in caring for a child, time moves rapidly, and now the time comes when the baby’s milk teeth begin to erupt. This time is marked by the first serious changes in the baby’s body and is associated with quite serious discomfort, both for him and for his parents.

When does teething occur?

Eruption of milk teeth in children – this is the most important milestone in the development of a child up to a year. The eruption of milk teeth shows that the baby has matured! Teeth usually erupt when the child is six months old. However, these limits are much wider. Milk teeth can erupt both early, in the third or fourth month of life, and late, in the eighth to tenth month. It must be remembered that the sooner teeth erupt, the more careful care is required for them. It also happens that a child already has several teeth from birth.

The appearance of milk teeth in a child may be accompanied by fever, drowsiness, runny nose, indigestion. In such cases, it is better to consult a doctor. However, not everyone has these symptoms. Perhaps they will bypass your baby.

The timing of the appearance of the first milk teeth in an infant

The time when a child’s first milk teeth begin to erupt is quite difficult. During this period, the child becomes capricious, constantly cries and shows anxiety. This is a difficult time for both the child and his parents. The question is how to help the baby in such a difficult period. Of course, there are simply no guaranteed means of getting rid of discomfort during teething. But nevertheless, it is quite possible to alleviate the condition of the child, to minimize the negative manifestations of this process.

There is an important point that parents should take into account. There is no single scheme and timing of teething in an infant. All written diagrams are just a guideline. The body of any child is strictly individual, which means that each child will have their teeth erupted at the right time. Moreover, even if we are talking about twins (twins, triplets), it is not necessary that this process will begin at the same time.

Of course, there are some pediatric calculations, according to which the eruption process begins closer to 6 months of age. By the onset of the year, the child, according to the same statistics, should have about 6-8 teeth. However, this is not always the case. Even in a year there may be no teeth, and this is a variant of the norm. Naturally, what has been said is true only if there are no reasons preventing the beginning of the process (diseases, developmental anomalies, etc.).

Based on this, we can say that it is simply impossible to accurately determine the timing of the onset of teething, since they are unpredictable.

To accurately determine the approximate start time of the process, you will have to take into account many external and internal factors, such as:

• Hereditary factor (genetic features).

• Environmental conditions (climate).

• The diet of the child, the quality and chemical composition of the water used.

• The presence of pathologies of the endocrine system.

• The quality of child care and others.

If there is a delay in teething, we can talk about the physiological norm. But there is also a risk of pathologies associated with developmental disorders and congenital anomalies:

• Adentia – a congenital pathology in which there are no rudiments of teeth. In this case, the teeth simply have nowhere to appear. You can determine the pathology using a radiovisiograph or x-ray.

• Rickets – a predominantly childhood disease, the mechanism of which lies in the insufficient ability of the body to absorb vitamin D. As a result, the intake of calcium salts necessary for the growth and development of tissues (in particular bone tissue) is disrupted. For this reason, teeth may begin to erupt much later.

The rudiments of teeth are laid in the first weeks of intrauterine development (approximately at 6-7 weeks). At this time, the mother may not even know about her pregnancy.

The order of teething in a child

Order of teething already determined by nature. Usually, the lower front teeth erupt first, followed by the upper ones. The whole scheme of teething is shown in the diagram below. The fangs, indicated by the number 7 in the diagram, grow most difficult, so take care of your child from colds at this time. Fully milk teeth are formed by the age of three.

Much clearer is the question of the order of teething. The first to erupt are the teeth of the lower row – the central incisors. They can grow at the same time, or they can take turns. Following them, according to the principle of pairing of teeth of the same name, the upper incisors erupt.

Then the lateral incisors begin to appear, first the two lower, then the two upper teeth. As a rule, children who have reached the age of one already have all the incisors, 4 from the bottom, 4 from the top.

Then fangs begin to erupt, but they give way to future molars, therefore, in their place are often found so-called. “tooth gaps”. Following the fangs, the rest of the teeth erupt.

According to medical practice, teeth erupt and fall out according to the following pattern:

• Central incisors. The lower ones erupt at 6-10 months, the upper ones at 7-12. Fall out at 6-8 years.

• Lateral incisors. The lower ones erupt at 7-16 months, the upper ones at 9-12. Fall out by 7-8 years.

• Fangs. The lower fangs erupt at the age of 16-23 months. Upper – at 16-22 months. Drop out at 9-12 years old.

• The first molars. The lower ones erupt at 12-18 months. Upper – at 13-19. Drop out at 9-11 years old.

• Second molars. The lower ones erupt at 20-31 months. The upper ones – at 25-33 months fall out at 10-12 years.

Teething scheme

A detailed diagram of teething is shown in the table:

By the time the child reaches the age of three, the child already has 20 teeth (incisors, canines, molars). However, here everything is individual. All 20 teeth can erupt much earlier (at 2-2.5 years).

How many milk teeth should a child have?

Regarding how many milk teeth a child should have, all parents who are not indifferent to their children think. This question begins to bother them when the baby reaches the age of six months. The eruption of each tooth is often accompanied by sleepless nights, the cries of the baby, fever, swelling of the gums and other unpleasant symptoms.

In total, twenty milk teeth should appear in the baby’s mouth by the age of two. They erupt gradually, with a certain sequence, although this process occurs in each child individually and the timing of the appearance of teeth may vary.

Narrow front teeth, which dentists call incisors, appear first. Then comes the turn of the molars – these are wide teeth located deeper in the oral cavity. Narrow teeth are used for biting off parts of food, and wide ones for grinding and chewing it.

First, the lower and upper central incisors will appear in the mouth, then the lateral incisors will erupt next to them. Next in line are the upper and then the lower molars. The penultimate milk teeth are canines, and the second upper and lower molars complete the process of appearance.

Thus, in the mouth of a child by about two years or older, 20 milk teeth will appear, which in the future will be replaced by a permanent dentition.

As for the increase or decrease in the number of teeth, this is extremely rare, since the rudiments of teeth appear even during intrauterine development. Polyodontia disease is a kind of mutation in the body of a child, during which a person forms and begins to erupt, or remain inside the jaw in the form of rudiments, additional pairs of teeth. Science knows a person with such a mutation, who during his life erupted 232 teeth. Polyodontia is a rare disease, so parents should not worry about this. In recent years, only a few cases of its occurrence have been registered.

How does the baby’s body react to the appearance of the first teeth?

The process of teething significantly loads all the systems of the child’s body. Therefore, despite all its naturalness and physiology, it is associated with quite serious discomfort and a number of unpleasant complications.

The external manifestations that are observed during teething are also individual and depend on the state of health of the child at a given time.

There are a number of symptoms that are most common. They can be considered as a kind of starting point and marker for the beginning of the process:

• Increased secretion of saliva.

• Decreased appetite. Complete refusal to eat is possible.

• Increased physical activity of the child, the desire to grab everything, pull it into the mouth and bite. The reason lies in the itching covering the gums.

• Swelling and swelling of the gums.

• Increased irritability, sleep disturbances.

Increased salivation

Increased salivation also contributes to the development of some associated symptoms. They can be informative markers of the beginning of the teething process.

• The development of a runny nose (due to the fact that saliva enters the middle ear).

• Hoarseness, cough, especially when lying down. The reason lies in the fact that saliva gets into the throat.

• Stool disorders (slight relief).

• Due to the abundant secretion of saliva, irritation occurs in the skin of the chest, mouth, and chin.

Increased irritability, sudden mood changes

Increased irritability is the main and most common sign among children of the onset of teething.

The causes of discomfort lie in the following:

• Sensation of itching in the area of ​​eruption. Itching can radiate to the ears, cheeks, nose. The unbearable sensation of itching makes the child nervous.

• Pain caused by teething through the soft, rich in nerve endings of the gum tissue.

Vomiting and diarrhea

Vomiting and diarrhea are infrequent companions of the teething process. It may be that the child swallowed saliva. But if vomiting or diarrhea recurs, the body temperature rises – most likely this or that infectious agent became the culprit of this condition. There are a great many of them: astroviruses, noroviruses, rotaviruses, adenoviruses, caliciviruses. The lesions caused by them are collectively referred to as intestinal or stomach flu. In this case, you can not do without medical help. Therefore, do not hesitate to contact the pediatrician.

Fever and malaise

Body temperature during teething rises very often. The numbers usually do not exceed 38.5 °C. The reason is the development of the inflammatory process of the oral mucosa of the child. The symptom is not very dangerous. The temperature drops for 2-3 days and returns to normal at 36.6.

More: What should parents do at this moment? How to lower the temperature?

How to help a child with teething?

Alleviating the symptoms and general condition of a child during teething is not an easy task. Fortunately, there are some guidelines that can make the process less unpleasant.

The first thing to do is to provide the child with specially designed “rodents”.

• Teethers. Satisfies the baby’s need for chewing. Inside they have a filler (liquid or gel). Designed for chilled use. Cold helps to soothe itching and burning. The main disadvantage of such teethers is the need to constantly cool them.

• Nipples, bottles. Also designed to meet the chewing needs of children. When selecting nipples and devices, it is important to consider their shape. Frequent use of irregularly shaped objects will lead to the development of malocclusion in the future. Therefore, preference should be given to special orthodontic nipples. The best materials are silicone or latex.

• Have a massage. The gums of the child can be massaged with gauze swabs soaked in water. In this way, you can not only relieve discomfort in the oral cavity, but also conduct its hygiene. The main condition is the smoothness and accuracy of movements.

• Using a special brush – fingertip. You can give preference to modern means. The brush also allows you to take care of your baby’s oral cavity while soothing the teething areas.

Medications for children with teething

The modern pharmaceutical market offers a huge number of means to deal with unpleasant companions of the teething process. This is no coincidence. After all, many of the non-drug ways to alleviate the condition of the child do not have sufficient effectiveness. Of course, the uncontrolled use of drugs is unacceptable. Most of them contain lidocaine. Before use, you should consult with a pediatrician.

• Dantinorm Baby. It is very important to be ready for teething in your baby, to be fully armed. To help calmly survive the stage of teething in a child, the drug Dantinorm Baby can. It is very convenient to use it, since one container is designed for one application. And due to the duration of action of each dose of the drug up to 8 hours, just three doses per day will help ensure continuous protection of the baby from all the main symptoms of teething 24 hours a day. We recommend it to anyone who cares about the health and tranquility of their baby.

• Solcoseryl. Available in the form of a gel. Effective in the presence of open wounds on the gums. The approximate cost is 200 rubles.

• Dentinox. A complex preparation containing chamomile extract and lidocaine. Acts as an anesthetic while relieving inflammation. Available in the form of a gel or drops. Its frequent use is not allowed (maximum 3 times a day). May cause an allergic reaction. The approximate price is 200 rubles.

• Calgel – lidocaine-based agent. It has a weak anesthetic effect. It has a sweetish taste and can be the culprit of an allergic reaction. You can use it from 5 months. The gel can be used up to 6 times a day. The time intervals between doses of the gel should be at least 20-30 minutes. The price is about 300 rubles.

• Baby doctor first teeth. Unlike previous products, it is completely of plant origin. It has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Despite its origin, it is hypoallergenic. The cost is about 170 rubles.

• Holisal. It has an anti-inflammatory effect due to the content of choline salicylate in the composition. The cost is about 300 rubles. You can use the drug up to 2-3 times a day.

Often, out of ignorance, doctors prescribe Kamistad to children. However, Kamistad baby (a safe version of the drug for children) has not been produced for a long time, and regular Kamistad is contraindicated in children under 12 years of age.

Main conclusions

It is forbidden to give the child sweet and sweetened both before teething and after. This can lead to the development of caries.

• You can reduce inflammation and discomfort by rubbing the child’s oral mucosa with solutions of medicinal plants (chamomile, etc.). Fortunately, they are safe.

• After the appearance of the first teeth – do not forget about oral hygiene. Especially for young children, there are pastes labeled from 0. They are harmless and unable to have a negative effect on the child’s body.

During the period of teething, the child more than ever needs maternal care and attention. Therefore, you should not be afraid to spoil him. You need to put the baby to the breast more often, play with him and in general spend as much time as possible. Then this difficult time will be much easier to survive.