Baby teething is an important milestone in baby development. The teething schedule is different for each baby, although the vast majority will start the teething process around the same age and the appearance of the teeth usually follows a certain order.
The appearance of baby teeth is the precursor to weaning; a physical manifestation of a child’s growing independence. Most children go through the entire process, but for some it can be a harrowing and painful time. Many parents may feel helpless and somewhat surprised when their baby’s first teeth begin to appear. Understanding physical changes and anticipating when and how is the key to helping your baby.
Stage 1. Teething discomfort can start long before the teeth erupt: your baby is born with a set of 20 teeth hidden under the gums. Just before they erupt, you should be able to feel the indentations of the teeth by running your finger along your baby’s gums.
Stage 2. Usually, when your baby is seven to twelve months old, the first four front teeth erupt through the gums. These teeth are called incisors. Usually the top two teeth come in first. Although they look cute and make every parent’s heart race when they first see each other, they can hurt as they go along.
Stage 3. The appearance of the first molars usually takes place when the child is between thirteen and nineteen months. The first molars sit just behind the canine teeth.
Stage 4. Sometime between sixteen and twenty-two months of age, the canine teeth emerge; however, the first molars may appear before the canines.
Stage 5. The second molars are almost always the last to erupt. This occurs around twenty-five to thirty-three months of age. These are the largest teeth; some children find that the appearance of these is the most painful.
During each stage of teething, your baby will want different aids to soothe their discomfort. Cooling hot gums during stage one is a great relief, while finding the best object to chew on is preferable for the remaining stages. To relieve hot gums, you can buy teething gels or simply give your child a pacifier or ring that has been chilled in the refrigerator. If she wants to give her child a nursing ring to relieve discomfort, she may need to purchase different types for each stage of teething. You can easily find them at most baby retail stores. Check the back of the package to see if the ring is right for your child’s teething needs; During early teething, she’ll want a teething ring that her child can bite on with his front teeth, but during the final stages of teething, she’ll want to buy one that’s better suited for his back teeth.
Finally, your child will be in possession of all his teeth and you can rest easy. Or you can? Just when your child has all of his baby teeth (baby teeth) he will begin to lose them again, to be replaced by permanent teeth. The first teeth to fall out are usually the front four teeth; this begins around the child’s sixth to eighth birthday. The rest of the other teeth fall out more or less in the same order that they appeared; front teeth first, second molars last.