Teething in babies

Teething chart:

 Babies usually begin teething at the age of 6 months. Some babies may develop teeth after their first birthday while some develop teeth even before the age of 6 months. All these things are normal. Although all babies have unique characteristics and different timelines but we can predict specific time period for specific teeth eruptions. Here is a table for your guidance to learn about teeth eruption and shedding.

Upper teeth	Erupt	Shed
Central incisor (OMG first tooth!)	8-12 months	6-7 years
Lateral incisor (oh shit)	9-13 months	7-8 years
Canine	16-22 months	10-12 years
First molar	13-19 months	9-11 years
Second molar (are you killing me)	25-33 months	10-12 years

Lower teeth	Erupt	Shed
Central incisor (WOW so cute)	6-10 months	6-7 years
Lateral incisor (have some mercy)	10-16 months	7-8 years
Canine	17-23 months	9-12 years
First molar	14-18 months	9-11 years
Second molar (I’m dead)	23-31 months	10-12 years

Teething symptoms:

As it is mentioned earlier that every baby has its own timeline and characteristics but there are some common traits which mostly babies show. Here are few most common symptoms of teething:

• Drooling (saliva continuously coming out of baby’s mouth. No need to panic. Its all normal)
• Sucking different objects (baby’s want to soothe their irritating gums by sucking on different objects)
• Sleepless nights (because of pain)
• Refuse to eat (because of pain)

On careful examination some other signs may also be present during teething:

• Red and swollen gums
• Cheeks redness
• Skin rash near mouth
• Rubbing the ears

Remedies and treatment for teething symptoms:

• Teether, teething biscuits and crackers reduce the itching sensation in gums.
• Teething gels, cold packs or foods, ginger and clove oil reduce redness, swelling and soreness in gums.
• Warm bath and massage (gums, face and whole body) improve blood circulation and reduce pain.
• Breast feeding helps in reduction of pain.

Oral care:

• Before teeth (birth-6 months) massage the gums. Use wet cloth to clean the baby gums.
• After teething (6months – 1 year) use bristle brush and water to clean the gums and teeth.
• After 1 year. Visit your dentist and start cleaning your baby’s gums and teeth with water and tooth brush.

Medical conditions during teething:

Teething is a normal process but sometimes babies show some atypical symptoms which shouldn’t be neglected. Here, are some major condition along with their possible treatment:

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Skin rash all over the body
• Extreme fussiness

These are the symptoms which are not associated with teething. However, as baby puts everything in mouth during teething so there are chances that he/she might got an infection. So, if your baby shows fever it doesn’t mean that he/she is just teething. It might be an underlying infection who is causing fever, rash and diarrhea. So, call your doctor if you observe any atypical symptoms. Here are some medical abnormalities usually observed in teething babies:

Medical conditions	Description	Treatment
Eruption hematoma	Cyst over the crown of unerupted tooth	Surgical excision
Eruption sequestrum	Bony spicule over the molar tooth	No treatment. Self resolving.
Ectopic eruption	Tooth erupt in an incorrect position	Interceptive treatment
Transposition	Position of two adjacent teeth are interchanged	Interceptive procedures
Submerged tooth (infraocclusion)	Tooth fail to erupt completely	Depend upon the degree of submergence.
Impaction	Tooth fail to erupt in its normal dental arch	Surgical extraction
Natal and neonatal teeth	Presence of tooth at the time of birth or within 30 days after birth	Surgical extraction
Epstein pearls	Whitish yellow pearl over the roof of mouth or gums. Epithelial tissues trapped	No treatment. Disappears after 1-2 weeks
Bohn’s nodules	Whitish bumps in mouth. Remnants of mucus glands	No treatment. Disappears after 3 months
Ankylosis	Tooth fused with underlying bone	Surgical removal