Teething Aids and Baby Tooth Paste
An infant’s first tooth is a major milestone. It heralds the end of pureed mystery food in a jar and the beginning of more adventurous fare toast squares, fruit chunks, and crackers. The first tooth shows up, in most children, between six and twelve months of age. The next three usually appear soon after. However, it can take as long as eighteen months for the first tooth to pop up. Lower teeth usually are the first to erupt, followed by their upper counterparts. Teeth arrive starting in the front, then progress towards the back of the mouth. Baby teeth tend to arrive in groups of four, with a new set coming in every four or five months. In most children, all of their baby teeth are in place by two and a half years of age.Baby teeth, also known as deciduous teeth, milk teeth, or primary teeth, function as spacers for the adult teeth, which are developing under the gums. Made of dentin, a calcified bodily tissue also present in adult teeth, these temporary teeth are just as important as the later permanent teeth. They help children eat and learn to talk. Like permanent teeth, baby teeth require daily care to keep them healthy.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that children visit a dentist by one year of age for a wellness visit. At the latest, all children should make their first dental visit by the time they are three, and all of their temporary teeth are in. Good habits in brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits should be set in place as early as possible. Baby teeth can be brushed with a specially made infants’ tooth brush, or with a piece of gauze wrapped around a finger. When children are old enough to brush for themselves, they can graduate to a kids’ toothbrush. Regular toothpaste shouldn’t be used for children under two because of the fluoride it contains, but there are some infants’ toothpastes now available for little ones.
The leading cause of problems in baby teeth is baby bottle tooth decay. This can happen when sweetened drinks are consumed by a child, usually before bed. The remnant of the liquid remains on the teeth until it is brushed off. If it’s left on for too long, the teeth will begin to decay. The best preventative method for this is to not send a young child to bed with a bottle, or sippy cup, containing milk or juice. Water is a much better alternative for keeping baby teeth healthy and strong. Baby teeth fall out in approximately the same order they arrived in. The four front teeth are usually the first to go, around age six. From there, the other teeth will gradually loosen and fall out on their own.
A child’s adult teeth will begin to come in a few weeks to a couple months after the corresponding baby tooth is gone. Baby teeth are pushed out of place by the adult teeth pressing on them as they grow and develop. By age twelve, most children have lost all of their baby teeth. Adult teeth will continue to come in until all thirty-two are in place. The last four molars generally erupt by the twenty-first birthday.
What is Teething?
Teething is when a baby's teeth begin to push through the gums. These teeth begin to appear as early as three months of age in humans, or as late as a year. It can take a few years for the entire first set of teeth to appear, though it is often complete within one or two years. Occasionally an infant will be born with one or more teeth already protruding from the gums, but this is no cause for alarm.
Though the order in which teeth appear during teething differs from person to person, it tends to follow a general pattern. The first teeth to appear are nearly always the central incisors, those two teeth in the center of the mouth on the bottom. The top central and lateral incisors appear next, which are the four central top teeth. Next come the bottom lateral incisors, the two teeth on either side of the bottom central incisors. Then the basic molars, in the back of the jaw. And lastly, the eye teeth, the pointed teeth on the top. Most infants have twenty baby, or milk, teeth in all.
Female infants tend to begin teething at a slightly earlier age than males, but the difference is negligible, usually no more than a few months between siblings who share two parents. During teething, infants may experience a considerable amount of discomfort and pain, which leads to a high level of irritability. Other infants may have virtually no discomfort and make it through the entire teething process without exhibiting any signs of pain whatsoever. Slightly increased temperatures are common when teeth are breaking through the gums, but should not create feverish states, and any surprising shifts in temperature should be looked at by a physician.
While babies are teething they tend to drool a lot, and it is important to wipe the drool clean regularly to make sure no rashes develop. While teething, most infants also like to chew on things to help alleviate the discomfort caused by swollen gums. It is best to have teething toys or aids available to ensure that your favorite socks don't become impromptu teething cloths! Dampening a washcloth and putting it in a freezer for fifteen minutes to half an hour makes a wonderful teething aid, and a number of commercial teething rings which may be partially frozen are also available.
Even before the first teeth appear, brushing should begin. The gums should be brushed softly with water. Once teeth begin appearing, brushing with only water should continue. Even though these teeth will fall out before long, allowing them to decay can cause gaps which will lead to future problems, as permanent teeth squeeze in to try to fill the gaps and leave the mouth an orthodontic nightmare. Once the child is old enough to spit out toothpaste, brushing may begin to incorporate toothpaste as well as water. While the term teething refers to the process of the teeth breaking through the gums, in the common vernacular it may also be used to describe the tendency on infants and the young of other species to chew on whatever is handy while they are going through the teething process.
Choose the Best Baby Toothpaste
Babies’ teeth and gums require the same level of care as that of older children and adults, but the method of oral hygiene for infants and young children is different and relative to age. Prior to baby’s first tooth, careful cleaning of the gums with a soft wet cloth is all that is required, but upon the first appearance of teeth, brushing with an age-appropriate toothbrush and baby toothpaste is recommended. Choosing a baby toothpaste is a simple matter of seeking out products that are specifically manufactured and labeled for use in children.
When choosing baby toothpaste, make certain you are comparing brands manufactured for children. While the primary ingredients in most toothpaste include some type of abrasive, fluoride and a flavoring, the ingredients and quantity of ingredients are different in adult and baby toothpaste. Baby toothpaste should contain no sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), as this ingredient is known to cause mouth ulcers in some young children. Look for natural baby toothpaste that contains as few ingredients as possible to simplify the selection process.
Another ingredient of major concern to many parents is fluoride. Since fluoride is beneficial to healthy teeth, most toothpaste brands contain it, although not all. Excessive amounts of fluoride can cause harm to developing teeth, which is why it is important to always choose a brand made for babies. Due to the addition of fluoride in most municipal drinking water systems, fluoride supplements are no longer recommended for children. If the use of fluoridated toothpaste is of concern, talk to your pediatrician or dentist.
Keep in mind that babies and young children will swallow toothpaste rather than spit it out. When considering toothpaste for baby read the list of ingredients to be sure you personally approve. Some toothpaste has sweeteners that contain sugars, while others have xylitol, a non-sugar sweetener. If you prefer to avoid sweetened toothpaste, avoid the brands containing sucralose or similar sweeteners. A baby who does not expect sweet-tasting toothpaste will not know the difference. Again, selecting brands that are all natural will help avoid or reduce the confusion over inert ingredients.
Choosing a baby toothpaste made specifically for children, and selecting one that has a parent-approved ingredients list, is the first step towards life-long oral hygiene practice. Above all, follow the recommended guidelines for frequency and quantity of use and supervise brushing until children are old enough to perform the task alone satisfactorily and safely.
If your teething baby seems uncomfortable, consider these simple tips:
• Rub your baby's gums. Use a clean finger, moistened gauze pad or damp washcloth to massage your baby's gums. The pressure can ease your baby's discomfort.
• Offer a teething ring. Try one made of firm rubber. The liquid-filled variety might break under the pressure of your baby's chewing. If a bottle seems to do the trick, fill it with water. Prolonged contact with sugar from formula, milk or juice contributes to tooth decay.
• Keep it cool. A cold washcloth or chilled teething ring can be soothing on a baby's gums. Don't give your baby a frozen teething ring, however. Contact with extreme cold can be harmful.
• Try hard foods. If your baby is eating solid foods, you might offer something edible for gnawing - such as a peeled and chilled cucumber or carrot. Keep a close eye on your baby, however. Any pieces that break off might pose a choking hazard.
• Dry the drool. Excessive drooling is part of the teething process. To prevent skin irritation, keep a clean cloth handy to dry your baby's chin.
• Try an over-the-counter remedy. If your baby is especially cranky, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) might help. Avoid teething medications that contain the pain reliever benzocaine. Benzocaine products have been associated with methemoglobinemia - a rare but serious condition that reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Myotcstore Related Products:
Hylands Baby Teething Gel - 0.5 ozBaby Orajel daytime and nighttime oral pain reliever for teething - 0.18 oz
Boiron Camilia Teething Relief Liquid Doses 0.034 oz - 30 ea
Butler G-U-M Crayola Kids Flossers, Grape - 40 ea
Little Teethers oral pain relief gel for teething pain - 0.33 oz