Nebraska Family Dentist Dr. Kelly O’Hara wrote this article. Dr. O’Hara was a teacher before becoming a dentist, and she is a mother of four. She is passionate about educating busy parents and children about how best to practically optimize dental health in growing children.
Dr. O’Hara is kind and compassionate toward her young patients. She practices at the central location of Nebraska Family Dentistry.
We all think babies are cute, right? Most of us can agree that they are cute, but they may not be as cute at 2 am. This can be for various reasons. Whether they are fussy from being sick, irritable from cutting teeth, or up happy and ready to play. Babies have many ways in which they communicate. When it comes to their teeth, we assume babies don’t have them or should I say, most babies don't have teeth. There are, however, some babies that are born with "natal teeth." These teeth are typically not well developed, with a loose root. They need to be surgically removed to help reduce the risk of the infant inhaling the tooth and or damaging their tongue. There are also teeth called neonatal teeth. These are teeth that break through the gums within 30 days of being born. This too will require a trip to a pediatric dentist, so the proper treatment can be obtained. So while most babies don’t have teeth, there are a few that do.
Either way, as a child, more specifically a baby grows, a lot is happening within their tiny bodies.
While it is important to keep track of milestones, it is okay if your child misses one here and there as long as they meet all of their major developmental milestones. Two of the major milestones being...getting teeth, and losing teeth. When this happens, always seems to be a bit of a debate. There seem to be many answers, but what is correct?
Let's just start with the basics:
A child's teeth have many names. Milk teeth, temporary teeth, deciduous teeth, or baby teeth. A baby will have a total of 20 teeth. When they lose their baby teeth and get permanent teeth or "adult teeth," they will have a total of 32 teeth. Between 4 to 6 months of age, is when a baby will go through the process of teething (when their teeth start to break through the gums). However, because every child is different, it is not uncommon for this to happen before 4 months of age or even occur closer to the one year mark. Being late to teeth is completely fine. It is important to remember that each child is different.
Looking closely at specific teeth below is the typical or general time frame in which you can expect to see certain teeth erupt:
Upper Teeth
- Incisor (Lateral): 9-12 months of age
- Canines: 16-22 months of age
- First Molar: 13-19 months of age
- Second Molar: 15-33 months of age
Lower Teeth
- Incisor (Lateral): 10-16 months of age
- Canines: 17-23 months of age
- First Molar: 14-18 months of age
- Second Molar: 23-31 months of age
It seems to be that the trend for baby teeth is to break through in pairs. So, when a baby starts the teething process, it can be rough. For babies, their gums become sore and they will often have teething pain. Gums can be sensitive because the teeth coming through are rough when trying to break the gum, thus leading to cranky babies. They may have excess drool, they may start chewing on anything and everything, and there may be some sleepless nights. If they seem to have an excessive amount of pain, it is a good idea to consult their doctor. This process will continue until they have their first full set of teeth, up until about 3 years of age. Just in time for preschool!
Then, comes the stage of losing baby teeth. This can be fun and exciting and typically starts to happen around the age of 6 or 7. For some, it can promote a feeling of fear and for others, it can promote excitement in showing a friend or even being able to lure the tooth fairy in. The cycle of losing baby teeth happens in just the same way it did when they first came in. Falling out from front to back, certain teeth typically follow a general timeline;
Upper Teeth
- Central Incisor: 6-7 years of age
- Lateral Incisor: 7-8 years of age
- Canines: 10-12 years of age
- First Molar: 9-11 years of age
- Second Molar: 10-12 years of age
Lower Teeth: follow the same pattern and timeline
- Central Incisor: 6-7 years of age
- Lateral Incisor: 7-8 years of age
- Canines: 10-12 years of age
- First Molar: 9-11 years of age
- Second Molar: 10-12 years of age
While this is just a general timeline, the best thing to do is to make your child as comfortable as possible. It is also not advised to pull out baby teeth with any force. Doing so can cause discomfort, bleeding, infection, and damaged tissue pain. If, however, you are certain that the tooth is ready to come out, it is best to use a tissue along with a twisting motion. If you pull a tooth and the site is swollen or red the following day, follow up with your children’s dentist to make sure that there is no infection.
Also, keep in mind, that there are several misconceptions about what can happen when a child is teething. A fever is one of them along with diarrhea, runny noses, and rashes. Teeth can cause a slight rise in body temperature, but this is not to be classified as a true fever. An infection is usually an underlying cause of a fever of more than 100 degrees. The bottom line is to be mindful of what your baby is experiencing as they go through the process of growing older. Offer them support and lots of cuddles. A happy baby means happy parents!
If you have a question, please email Dr.Kelly OHara at nebraskafamilydentistry@gmail.com
You can also schedule 24/7 using online scheduling at: https://nebraskafamilydentistry.com
