When does the teething process start in babies under normal conditions? What are the reasons why this period differs in each baby?

The teeth of healthy babies begin to erupt at the age of 6-7 months on average. Teething can occur at the age of 3-4 months, as well as 12-16 months. This is a trait that can be inherited from parents. Teeth usually take up to 27-29 months to complete. Differences may occur due to genetic factors.

What are the signs of teething in babies?

While teething symptoms and severity vary from baby to baby; Diarrhea, fever, restlessness, insomnia, increased saliva production in the mouth, tugging at the ears, reluctance to feed, slowing weight gain can be seen. Teething symptoms are one or more of the above listed, swelling-swelling of the gums, bleeding and then the appearance of the tooth by tipping. Severe pain in your baby’s gums can cause his ears and cheeks to itch. Don’t worry too much if your baby scratches his ears during this period. If this situation continues continuously, there may be a risk of ear infection, consult your doctor.

How can families help teething babies?

Give your baby something to chew on. Give your baby something especially cold (a cold banana or carrot, a rubber tooth ring, etc.) that the baby can chew and scratch the gums. Massage with a cloth. To numb the gums slightly, apply the dental gels given by the doctor to the gums before feeding.

Things to do for a teething baby can be summarized as follows;

• The baby should be given a teether
• You can massage the swollen and reddened palate with your hand.
• Give cold drinks
• It should be given from scratchers that can be frozen inside.
• You can give cold fruit
• You can eat cold yogurt
• Take it in your lap
• If the fever is high, you can give an antipyretic. You can use dental gel with the recommendation of the doctor.

Do teething babies have trouble getting breast milk?

Reluctance is likely. Families should not forget that breastfeeding includes muscle movements that facilitate the baby’s teething.

How should oral care be done in babies?

Teeth cleaning should be done regularly from the day your baby has his first tooth. It will be much more beneficial if these cleaning steps are done after breakfast and before going to bed at night. At first, the teeth can be cleaned by wetting a piece of cheesecloth-style cloth. After a while, when your baby grows up, you will need to switch to toothpastes produced for babies. By the time your baby is about 2 years old, she can handle brushing on her own. During these periods, you can encourage him by brushing his teeth. It is especially important to brush together. Getting your babies to brush their teeth from a young age will ensure that they have healthy teeth and smiles for life.

Which teeth start to emerge first in babies? What is a regular teething sequence? The subtraction table is generally as follows;

• At 6 and 7 months, two middle incisors appear in the lower jaw.
• In the 8th and 9th months, two middle incisors appear in the upper jaw.
• Two lateral incisors erupt in the upper jaw at 10 and 11 months
• In the 12th and 13th months, the lateral incisors appear in the lower jaw (2 pieces)
• In the 14th and 16th months, one molar teeth each on the right and left in the upper jaw.
• In the 16th and 17th months, one molar each on the right and left in the lower jaw erupts.
• Two canines erupt in the upper and lower jaws at 18 and 19 months.
• In the 21st and 22nd months, the second molars erupt in the upper jaw (2 pieces)
• In the 23rd and 24th months, the second molars come out in the lower jaw (2 pieces)

The first 20 teeth begin to change from the age of 6 years. These vary completely from age 11 to age 15. The teeth that erupt after the age of 6 do not change.

• These first teeth, which are completed by the age of 2, are called milk teeth.
• At the age of 7, two grinding teeth erupt in the upper and lower jaws.
• At the age of 8, the first incisors begin to change
• At the age of 9, the second incisors begin to change
• At the age of 10, the first molars begin to touch
• Between the ages of 11 and 13, the canine teeth in the lower and upper jaw begin to change.
• Between the ages of 11 and 15, the second grinding teeth begin to appear in the upper and lower jaws (two each).
• Between the ages of 13 and 16, the second grinding teeth begin to appear in the upper and lower jaws (two pieces each).
• Between the ages of 15 and 30, the third grinding teeth begin to appear in the upper and lower jaws.

How should the milk teeth, known as the first teeth, be taken care of?

The cleaning process should begin when the first teeth of babies appear in the mouth. After breakfast and before going to bed at night, it would be appropriate to wipe the teeth (at least the chewing surfaces) by wetting a clean cheesecloth or gauze.

In which cases should families consult a doctor during the teething process?

Consult your doctor if your baby has a fever of 38C or higher and/or has diarrhea, even if he is teething. Symptoms such as diarrhea and fever may be symptoms of a different disease that started at the same time as teething. Babies are more prone to diseases while teething and their recovery may be more problematic.

In addition to all these, it would be appropriate to provide information on some important issues:

Feeding babies with breast milk for at least the first four months will ensure the normal development of soft tissue and muscle functions around the mouth. In cases where breast milk is insufficient, the use of a physiological cap (palate, cut-end) bottle is required. Babies should be accustomed to feeding from cups and spoons from the age of 1 year. Bottle feeding can continue until the age of 2 at most. Habits such as thumb sucking and using a pacifier can be allowed until the age of 2 – 2.5 years. If there is a habit of thumb sucking, the reason for this should be investigated and this habit should be eliminated between the ages of 3 and 6 years.

Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking is a common habit at a young age. It usually goes away on its own by the age of four. The continuation of the habit at the age of permanent teeth eruption leads to structural disorders in these teeth and palate. The cause of these disorders is the pressure exerted by the finger on the front teeth and palate. The degree of impairment that occurs depends on the duration, frequency, and severity of sucking and the position of the finger during sucking. The most effective way to prevent thumb sucking is to accustom the child who tends to thumb sucking to the pacifier. The damage caused by the pacifier is less, and it can be left more easily. If, despite everything, the habit cannot be broken by the age of 6, it is necessary to seek professional help by consulting a dentist.

Pacifier

For babies, sucking is the most natural way to relax and feel safe. If the baby is prone to thumb sucking, he should be directed to the pacifier immediately. A pacifier is also less harmful than thumb sucking; and it can be left more easily in later ages. The pacifier should be given only when necessary, not for most of the day. In order not to cause structural defects, pacifiers with natural breast structure should be chosen as much as possible.

Baby Bottle Rot

In babies, it is sometimes observed that brown spots appear on the teeth as soon as they last, or that these teeth break and fall out. In fact, these stains are dental caries and teeth are broken due to caries. The reason for the formation of caries in such an early period is the caries called bottle caries. Breast milk or cow’s milk, which is the most important nutrient in infant nutrition, naturally contains sugar. If the baby sucks breast milk or a bottle before going to bed at night or during sleep, milk accumulates in the mouth and creates a favorable environment for microbes to rot the teeth. For this reason, care should be taken to clean the teeth, especially after night feeding. Since the treatment of cavities in infants is very difficult, preventive measures should be taken in the early period.

How much toothpaste should be used in children?

The use of toothpaste is not recommended in infancy and children up to the age of three. The use of toothpaste should be started after the age of three. However, as you can see in the advertisements, 3-5 cm. not, the paste as much as a chickpea will be enough for brushing. When using toothpaste, any of the fluoride toothpastes can be preferred. The important thing is that the child likes and desires the taste of the chosen paste.