Baby’s First Tooth
Is your baby having unexpected crying, red temples, or excess saliva? If so, most likely your child is "teething". There is no need to panic, everything is normal and this phase is fleeting, even if it will be repeated in the months to come. Here is some information on human teething and the teething process.
The development of teeth in utero
Most babies are born without teeth, though there are rare exceptions of babies who are born with one or two small teeth. In babies, the process that will lead to teething, then the appearance of milk teeth, then the fall of these same milk teeth before the arrival of permanent teeth, has been initiated since uterine life. Indeed, the first stage of dental development, called odontogenesis by doctors, takes place between the 6th and 8th weeks of pregnancy. This is the moment when the dental buds appear. These buds will give rise to the primary teeth, more commonly known as " baby teeth ". And it is actually still in utero that the final, adult teeth are prepared, around the 20th week.
What are teething problems?
The development of teeth that began during the fetal phase continues after birth. After some time, on average 6 months, the first tooth will appear. In some, it will be 3 months, in others 1 year, each growth is different. Every baby is different, so don’t be concerned if your baby is different than other children that you know. In order for the first tooth to appear, it will go from the stage of bud to tooth and pass into the jaw before piercing the gum. "Teething" is symptomatic of the movement of the tooth in the jawbone, and is a crucial stage that can be felt a few days or even weeks before the tooth breaks. This can cause pain or discomfort for your baby, and they will often show it by crying. Once you identify the source of their discomfort, prepare for other uncomfortable moments, because your baby's mouth will eventually grow 20 baby teeth (8 incisors, 4 first molars,4 canines, and a second series of 4 molars) until they are 3 years old. As your baby gets older, however, the symptoms subside as the teeth have more room to move through the jaw to the gums.
Baby and teething
Again, all children are different. In some (rare) babies, the teething will manifest itself by a simple localized redness on the temples, in (many) others, it will generate fever, pain, discomfort. This often unpleasant phase results in multiple symptoms:
- crying attacks and sensitivity to the skin
- a need to nibble often accompanied by hypersalivation
- redness of the cheeks linked to inflammation
- less regular sleep
- loss of appetite
- disturbed digestion and diarrhea
- an outbreak of fever
During teething, your baby may be prone to nasopharyngitis, bronchitis, or ear infections, as the whole ear, nose, and throat area is affected by teething. There are simple ways to relieve your baby’s symptoms, and we recommend you speak with your pediatrician about ways that are best for your child.