Mom and dad can't wait for their child's baby teeth to begin to be replaced by molars. Such changes always raise a lot of questions. Usually molars grow without difficulty, but there is always a risk of complications. You can avoid possible unpleasant consequences if you regularly visit the pediatric dentist. The dental clinics of the Stomus network employ experienced and qualified specialists who can identify teething difficulties and help cope with them.
Growth pattern
At the time of birth, a child already has formed rudiments of both milk and molar teeth. The process of development of the latter, if they have no analogues among dairy products, begins when the child is about a year old.
Almost all baby teeth erupt by age 3. At the age of 6, they gradually begin to be replaced by permanent (indigenous) ones. This process usually ends by age 13. If the total number of milk teeth is 20, then the molars are 32. Permanent teeth erupt in the following sequence:
- 6-7 years. The appearance of central incisors from below.
- 7-8 years old. Change of central incisors from above and lateral incisors from below.
- 8-9 years old. The appearance of the lateral incisors of the upper jaw.
- 9-12 years old. Change of canines and premolars.
- 12 years and older. Change of molars and the appearance of teeth that had no analogues among milk teeth.
The period of eruption generally depends on both external and internal factors. In particular, it is influenced by complications during childbirth, the nature of the child’s nutrition, climatic conditions, genetic predisposition and much more.
Typically, by the age of 14, a child has an almost complete set of teeth. Wisdom teeth normally appear in older teenagers, but most often they appear in adults. Sometimes they don't show up at all.
What are the features of the eruption of “temporary” teeth?
Baby teething normally occurs at six months of age. The first sign of this process is the formation of a dental tubercle on the edge of the gum. This occurs as a result of pressure on the mucous membrane - it gradually stretches, becomes thinner and a breakthrough occurs. Then you can see the edge of the crown of the new tooth above the gum. As soon as the entire crown appears above the gum cavity, this is the eruption of the tooth.
In various sources you can find exact dates for teething, but they are arbitrary. Any discrepancies with them depend on the individual developmental characteristics of the baby. There is no need to worry if your child's first tooth appears later or earlier than his peers. Teething is a natural process that occurs on an individual schedule.
Did you know that baby teeth have roots? It’s just that by the time they begin to fall out, they resolve on their own. If sometimes a tooth has to be removed before its natural loss occurs, its root can be seen.
In erupted baby teeth, the formation of roots occurs according to the following scheme:
- The formation of the roots of the incisors occurs by the age of two.
- The roots of the molars will be fully formed by the age of 4 years.
- The formation of the roots of the fangs occurs by the age of 5 years.
What signs are used to determine the appearance of molars?
There are several symptoms that, to a certain extent, may indicate that the child will soon have a permanent one in place of a baby tooth:
- The tooth is loose - this indicates that the root has begun to dissolve, as a result of which the fixation of the baby tooth has weakened.
- The tooth fell out - the reason for this is that the permanent tooth has already formed and pushed it out.
- A swelling appeared on the gum at the site of eruption.
- Body temperature has increased.
Take into account! The growth of permanent teeth leads to a weakening of children's immunity. Therefore, you need to give your child vitamins and take him to the dentist for preventative visits.
Teeth in children: order of eruption of baby teeth
The eruption of baby teeth in children is a strictly individual process for each child. Normally, there are deviations of 5-6 months from the stated standards. Most babies begin to cut their first teeth at 6 months, but there are cases where this process begins already in the first three months or only after a year. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that the rudiments be visible at the initial stage. Children's teeth can start cutting in at six months, and the first white bumps will be noticeable by one year.
Standard timing of baby teeth eruption
As a rule, this process begins faster in girls than in boys. In babies with rapid development, the first teeth can be seen at 3-4 months, but it is normal for the process to begin before the age of twelve months. If the timing of the eruption of baby teeth does not correspond to the norm, this is a reason to consult a dentist.
A delay in the natural process may be due to the following factors:
- lack of Ca in the body;
- problems with physical development;
- lack of thyroid hormones;
- metabolic problems;
- edentia – complete absence of the rudiments of baby teeth;
- rickets;
- hereditary predisposition.
Attention! The fact that a child of 1 year is missing primary teeth is not a pathology. Perhaps this is an individual feature. Sometimes parents simply cannot determine the presence of rudiments (the child closes his mouth and does not allow adults to examine the oral cavity). Then a consultation with a pediatric dentist is required, who will conduct a physical examination, assess the condition and give recommendations.
The order of eruption of baby teeth
The standard teething scheme for babies is as follows:
- the incisors in the center come first;
- lateral incisors emerge;
- next – the first molars;
- then fangs;
- The second molars emerge last.
As practice shows, in many children the teeth from below begin to grow first, but there are often cases when the first incisors and molars have already emerged from above, but not yet from below. If an examination by a pediatric dentist and pediatrician shows normal results, you just need to wait a little.
The misconception is that the more calcium in a child’s diet, the faster his teeth will erupt. Many parents begin to introduce cottage cheese, milk porridge, and hard cheese into complementary foods too early, supposedly to speed up this process. In no case should you follow this example to avoid excess calcium in the body and other health problems. Nutrition should be complete, varied, healthy. The time will come, and the teeth will erupt naturally.
By the age of two and a half, the child should have all his teeth: on each half of the jaw there should be two molars, one canine and two incisors. Baby teeth come out symmetrically to each other, there should be 20 units in total, that is, 10 on top and bottom.
Formula for calculating the number of teeth for children under 2 years of age
There is also a formula that can be used to count baby teeth. The order of teething is as follows: the child’s age in months minus six months - the number of teeth is obtained. For example, if a child is 15 months old, then we subtract 6 from 15 and get 9. Accordingly, the baby normally has 9 teeth that have erupted at the moment.
What if the baby was born with teeth already erupting?
It also happens that children are born with already erupted teeth, or they come out in the first few weeks of life. In such cases, it is necessary to seek help from a pediatrician and dentist. Sometimes the presence of incisors and molars interferes with natural breastfeeding, and the child is transferred to artificial feeding, or is fed with a bottle of breast milk and a pacifier.
How can you tell when your child’s teeth have started cutting?
Symptoms of the emergence of the first incisors and other dental units are as follows:
- the baby becomes restless;
- there is excessive salivation;
- the child actively begins to put toys and foreign objects into his mouth;
- baby sucks fingers;
- often asks for a breast or pacifier;
- day and night sleep is disrupted;
- the child becomes whiny and irritable;
- there is a refusal to eat;
- temperature rises;
- The gums are slightly swollen.
Attention! The fact that you do not see the first rudiments of a tooth (a white dot on the gum) does not mean that it is not erupting. On the contrary, the process of coming out is the most painful, and when the tooth appears on the surface, the baby’s condition returns to normal.
Pediatric dentists at the Zuub.rf clinic are ready to provide advice and medical assistance to children during teething. If your child is worried about his teeth, or you have suspicions about the order in which his baby teeth come out, a medical examination with a doctor will definitely help! The dentist will examine the condition of the child’s teeth, give detailed recommendations and rule out pathologies often “contrived” by parents.
If you have the symptoms described in this article, be sure to make an appointment at our clinic.
Don't self-medicate! Even the smallest problem, if not treated correctly, can significantly complicate your life.
By contacting us, you can be sure that:
- Get high-quality and free consultation .
- You will receive the best prices for treatment and the opportunity to receive a special promotional price.
- Only modern equipment and materials will be used.
- You will be treated by professional doctors with many years of experience.
- We offer treatment on credit or in installments. There is also the possibility of obtaining a tax deduction.
- We work seven days a week and without a lunch break, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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Author of the article
Bolshova Anastasia Vladimirovna
- Specialization: Dentist-therapist (children and adults), dental hygienist, periodontist
- Experience: 5 years
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What complications may arise?
Baby teeth did not fall out on time. The cause of the problem must be determined by the dentist. This usually requires an x-ray. In the image, the specialist can see the degree of development of the molars.
The appearance of caries and the occurrence of pulpitis. In this case, there is a change in body temperature, the appearance of severe pain and a general deterioration in the child’s well-being.
A very common situation occurs when a molar tooth (one or more) has already begun to appear, but the milk tooth does not fall out. As a result, the new tooth will look for other ways to grow, which will lead to a change in its direction and displacement. The result is a violation of the bite and the even position of the dentition. To eliminate the problem, you will need to consult an orthodontist.
Permissible deviations from the schedule
Signs of the imminent appearance of the first teeth are drooling, swollen gums, and fever. It is important to monitor the child’s well-being during this period.
READ ALSO: How can you lower your temperature if you are teething?
As noted above, at six months the baby already has his first teeth. A shift of one to three months later than normal indicates rickets or an infectious disease. Also the cause is illnesses that the woman suffered during the period of gestation.
On the contrary, the early appearance of teeth is a symptom of unstable functioning of the endocrine system. The absence of teeth up to a year is rarely associated with edentia, that is, with the absence of rudiments. This can be checked in the pediatric dentist's office.
Is it possible to pull out a baby tooth yourself?
At home, you can remove a baby tooth only if it is well loosened and you can walk freely in the socket.
It is important that the child does not have a cold: coughing, sneezing, runny nose - these are stop signals for home removal of a baby tooth. Examine the child’s mouth - if there is swelling or bleeding of the gums, your manipulations may lead to infection in the socket. It's better to see a dentist.
If you still decide to pull out a baby tooth, it is better not to experiment with tying the object to be removed to the door handle.
The best way is this: wrap the tooth with gauze soaked in alcohol and pull it out of the hole until it comes out. The tooth can also be wrapped with sterile thread and pulled strictly perpendicular to the jaw.
After the manipulations are successful, the child needs to rinse his mouth, the parent needs to see if there are any parts of the tooth left in the socket (if the tooth is broken and something remains, you need to go to the doctor). Sterile cotton wool is placed in the hole for 20 minutes: the child must press it with his teeth to stop the bleeding. Make sure your child does not drink or eat for a couple of hours after tooth extraction.
If the tooth falls out on its own, also put cotton wool in the hole and do not let the baby drink or eat for a while.
What are baby teeth?
A child may believe that baby teeth are needed only so that the Tooth Fairy has something to build her snow-white castle from. But adults should know the truth. When a child is still very small, his head, and therefore his jaw, are small. If the baby, instead of milk teeth, began to cut molars immediately, they would not fit into the mouth either in size or in number. Therefore, nature gave us a temporary solution for the first ten years.
There are 20 primary teeth in total (10 each on the upper and lower jaws). These are incisors - central and lateral, canines, and molars. Usually, a child already has all of them at the age of 3-3.5 years.
Milk teeth differ from primary teeth not only in size, but also in structure. The enamel of primary teeth is approximately 2 times thinner and not as rich in minerals. Therefore, the child needs to carefully monitor oral hygiene - caries on baby teeth develops very quickly. Milk teeth have thin not only enamel, but also the layer underneath it - dentin - so caries quickly develops into pulpitis. Baby teeth have both nerves and roots, but they are shorter than molars. The latter gradually “dissolve” during the period of change of bite. This is why the teeth begin to loosen.
If baby teeth are not taken care of and treated, the child’s gums may become inflamed, and the embryos of the molars may suffer or die. Don't leave caries unattended!
Teething disorders - symptoms and treatment
In case of teething problems, symptomatic treatment is carried out. Its purpose is to eliminate pericoronitis, oral abscess and osteomyelitis.
Treatment of pericoronitis
Treatment of pericoronitis is carried out on an outpatient basis. If the tooth germ is positioned correctly and there is enough space for the dental arch, then surgical treatment is the most preferable option. The mucous membrane in the area of the tooth crown is completely excised. As a result, access to the chewing and lateral surfaces of the crown appears. The operation is performed under anesthesia and can be performed either with scissors or a scalpel, or with more modern methods: cryodestruction, laser and electric knife.
pericoronarotomy can be performed - an operation during which the mucous membrane above the tooth crown is dissected. As a result, tooth surfaces that were previously covered by a hood of mucous membrane are exposed.
After surgical treatment, drug therapy :
- Antibacterial agents are selected individually, taking into account the microflora. It can be:
- Inhibitor-protected penicillins that destroy anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms. Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid is most effective.
- Lincomycin and Clindamycin act against Staphylococcus aureus.
- Metronidazole is not effective against facultative anaerobes and aerobes, but together with other antibiotics it will help cope with mixed microflora.
- Cephalosporins act only together with Metronidazole and Clindamycin, since almost all anaerobic microorganisms are insensitive to them.
- The latest generations of fluoroquinolones are effective against gram-positive bacteria, but each drug has its own level of activity.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Antihistamines [10].
- Detoxification therapy consists of drinking plenty of warm drinks rich in vitamins, such as compotes and fruit drinks. Sometimes in difficult situations, an isotonic solution is administered intravenously.
To alleviate local symptoms and reduce inflammation, baths with antiseptic solutions are used: a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate, 0.01% Miramistin solution or 0.05% Chlorhexidine.
Treatment of oral abscess
Treatment for an oral abscess includes surgery and medication. Depending on the location of the abscess and the general condition of the patient, it can be performed in a clinic or in a hospital. During the operation, the purulent-inflammatory focus is opened, the postoperative wound is treated with antiseptics and drained.
After surgery, medications must be prescribed. They are similar to those used to treat pericoronitis. To detoxify, it is recommended to drink plenty of alkaline liquids, such as mineral water and cranberry juice.
For several days after the operation, the wound is bandaged daily and treated with antiseptics.
Treatment of osteomyelitis
If osteomyelitis is detected, the patient is immediately hospitalized. The erupting tooth is removed, and all purulent foci are carefully treated. Antibacterial drugs are administered intravenously. For detoxification, saline solutions are used, which are also administered intravenously.
