It is an adventure the sheer fact of being a parent, not only are we reliving these stages together with them, we are also learning as we go! Today, it will be about baby teeth.
As such, it is important to know that there are quite a few things that baby teeth accomplish. As new parents it is our duty to act as a guidance as well as set good examples and behaviors. And more importantly, there is no shame in admitting that we have all forgotten everything about baby teeth!
Things like when they appeared, their role, how to take care of them, we got you covered here in this article.
First, what are they?
Baby teeth, milk teeth, primary teeth, they all refer to the same first set of teeth our babies will grow. This first set has 20 teeth total, 10 up and 10 down.
About when they start to appear, it is rather simple. If one of the teeth at either start to appear, let’s say the top lateral incisors, we can expect the bottom ones to show up one or two months later.
Here you have a small list of the order as well as expected times where each set of tooth should show up:
- First, we have the bottom and top central incisors that typically erupt between the 6th and 12th months.
- Then, the top and bottom lateral incisors between the 9th and 16th months.
- Top and bottom first molars between the 13th and 18th months.
- Top and bottom canines 16th and 23rd months
- Bottom and top second molars between the 23rd and 33rd months.
Remember these dates are an estimate. The baby teeth can show up as early as 5 months as old as 12 months. If your baby does not have any teeth by the time they are 18 months, you are more than welcome to contact us to get in touch with Los Algodones dentists for an appointment.
Is there a way to tell them apart?
The short answer to this question is ‘no’. But get sure to take your baby to the dentist before they are 12 months old. Sometimes babies do not grow permanent teeth to replace the baby ones, and that is okay! Here in Los Algodones, Mexico we whole heartedly recommend getting a panoramic x-ray with one of our dentists to make sure everything is going alright.
Importance of baby teeth
Baby teeth play an important role through your child’s life, and here are some of the reasons:
- They hold space for the second set of teeth. Without the baby teeth, the mouth would not hold the proper shape and form for the permanent teeth. Make sure to take care of your baby’s teeth as they will lead the path for the permanent ones!
- Baby teeth also help your baby practice and develop their speech. Without the proper teeth, it will be difficult to pronounce words correctly.
- Prevent the future teeth from being infected. If the baby teeth are infected or decayed, there is a good chance the permanent teeth that follow will get infected, too!
Now, as to how you should take care of your baby’s teeth, it is simple stuff!
As soon as you see their teeth, you can brush them! But do take into account that you do not want them to swallow toothpaste. Make sure to use very, very little and clean their mouth with a washcloth afterwards.
As to whether you should floss or not, if the gap between the teeth is big enough for the toothbrush to do its job, then it is not necessarily. Otherwise, if the gap is too small, you can floss away!
Teething
This is the main problem your baby will face when their baby teeth start making their appearance. It will be the cause of discomfort, irritability, drooling, swollen gums, restless nights, chewing on things, rejecting food and more. If your baby presents these signs, then they are probably teething.
To help the little infant not have such a hard time, you can rub their gums with a clean, moist, and cool washcloth. This will help soothe the problems they may experience.
And take into account that things such as fever and diarrhea should not be related to teething at all, especially if the symptoms persist for more than 24 hours!
For more information as well as more affordable dental procedures, you can contact us to get in touch with dentists in Los Algodones, you can get a quote here.