First teeth… joys and sorrows. This relieves the discomfort

What a joy the funny smile of a child with the first tooth! Joy, but also sorrows…

What a joy the funny smile of a child with the first tooth! Joy, but also pain: because teething is the cause of more or less intense discomfort for the child and anguish for mom and dad who participate in his suffering and, sometimes, in nights interrupted by desperate crying.

“Usually the torment begins around the fourth month and goes on until the year and a half-two,” explains Ambrogina Pirola, a pediatrician in Lissone and Muggiò (Monza).

“The milk teeth, called deciduous dentition by experts, are twenty, ten upper and ten lower. Usually the two central upper incisors grow first, then the two lower ones, then the four lateral incisors. Finally, within three years, the two molaretti and the four canines”.

But each child has “his” dentition calendar: “Sometimes the molars come before the lateral incisors, for example. And it should not worry about a possible slowness: usually it is enough to observe the gums to notice the presence of the buds of the teeth (the first can arrive even after the first birthday)» he adds.

The time intervals in which teeth can appear and fall out are in fact very variable:

When they pop up When they fall
Upper central incisor 7-12 months 6-8 years
Upper lateral incisor 9-13 months 7-8 years
First upper molar 13-19 months 9-11 years
Upper canine 16-22 months 10-12 years
Second upper molar 25-33 months 10-12 years
Lower central incisor 6-10 months 6-8 years
Lower lateral incisor 7-16 months 7-8 years
First lower molar 12-18 months 9-11 years
Lower canine 16-23 months 10-12 years
Second lower molar 20-31 months 10-12 years

No problem even with nutrition, because the gums are hard and the little ones can still chew. Somewhat bizarre eruptions are also not rare, perhaps with two teeth fused into one: they have nothing to do with what will be the teeth of adulthood.

“All deciduous teeth, in fact, will fall out between 6 and 14 years, will be replaced by permanent and completed by four molars,” he points out

The small related annoyances

It has never been proven that tooth growth causes fever. If it happens, it’s just a coincidence: because they pop up just when the baby’s body stops being protected by the antibodies taken by the mother during pregnancy.

The pediatrician continues: “The discomfort is there, and depends on the fact that the gums can become inflamed. The child manages it in his own way by putting a finger in his mouth, the rattle, the ear of the favorite bunny: these are signs that the process has begun. Mechanical rubbing, in fact, is the most effective remedy and that gives greater relief: mom or dad can in turn gently massage the gums with the index finger or try with a piece of ice wrapped in sterile gauze. The feeling of freshness is anesthetizing, but not all children like “too” cold».

This is the reason why the toys to put in the freezer can fail: “According to the experience reported by many mothers, it often happens that the baby holds the icy part in his hand and nibbles the handle. Better then the simple rubber rings, necklaces and other toys in materials pleasant ad hoc for teething to be used at room temperature ».

In pharmacies and parapharmacies there are also specific products for teething, such as anti-inflammatory, soothing and refreshing gels with calendula, mallow and hyaluronic acid, with which to massage the gums before sleep and after meals, or gum pastes with low doses of amylocaine with anesthetic effect.

“Other products contain aloe, rose honey: even if the child swallows them quickly – and therefore they are less effective than the massaging action – the sweetness of these substances can have a calming effect and make you forget the painful sensation for a while”.

All this, however, may not be enough, especially in the final phase of teething, when the canines arrive and must also “make their way” between the other teeth: “If the child becomes very agitated, cries continuously, cannot sleep, paracetamol can be administered at normal dosage (10 mg per kilo of weight), continues Dr. Pirola.

“Another event that can scare mom and dad, when the molars arrive, is the appearance of small hematomas, sometimes purple and dark vesicles, visible when the child opens his mouth crying. The further consequence can be the presence of blood in the mouth, on the bavetta or on the pillow when you wake up: there is no need to worry, they are caused by the rupture of some capillary due to the eruption of the tooth ».

Oral hygiene begins at this age

Be careful not to underestimate baby teeth because “they go away”: “No sugar or honey on the pacifier, no bottle with a sweetened drink available to reconcile sleep”, warns Ambrogina Pirola.

“Starting at the age of 2, it is important to teach the child to brush his teeth with a soft toothbrush after each meal. Even milk teeth, in fact, can be attacked by caries, caused by residues of sugary substances present in sweets, fruit, pasta, rice and bread. Among other things, the presence of all the teeth ensures correct chewing and each one “holds the place” for the perms that will sprout later. Extracting or losing them prematurely exposes you to the risk that future teeth will grow crooked or misspaced. For the same reason, in the case of trauma it is good to take the child immediately to the dentist for a check-up, and avoid that the risk of a displacement or a hematoma can compromise the bud of the permanent tooth ».

Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.

The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.

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