When Will My Child’s Teeth Come In?

It is never too early to start thinking about your baby’s dental care. When he or she is all gums, begin familiarizing your baby with having his or her ‘teeth’ cleaned: During bath time, use a clean, wet washcloth wrapped around your finger to gently massage your baby’s gums. There are also gum cleaning devices available, these are relatively inexpensive and are a great alternative to the washcloth method.

The First Tooth

You should expect to see your little one’s first tooth erupt at some point between 4 and 6 months. Teeth tend to erupt in pairs. The middle lower pair in the front are usually the first teeth to appear.

Advanced Preparation for Teething is Key

Although this is an extremely exciting milestone, erupting teeth can cause your smiling little angel to become somewhat…cranky. Crying, sleeplessness and crankiness are common side effects of teething; therefore, prepare for teething in advance. Advanced preparation can make the onset of teething much easier (especially if it occurs in the wee hours of the morning).

Chilled teething rings can help reduce gum swelling and provide your little one with something hard to bite on. Sometimes, a baby will run a temperature while teething, if this happens your pediatrician may recommend over-the-counter medications to help ease discomfort and reduce a fever associated with teething.

Teething Usually Lasts Several Years

Teething typically begins at 4 to 6 months and lasts until your baby reaches the age of 3. However, the good news is that the eruption of the first pair of teeth brings about the most dramatic response: Therefore, you will not be dealing with a cranky, sleepless little one for that entire length of time.

An eruption timeline for primary teeth:

• 6 months: the lower middle incisors;
• 8 months: the upper middle incisors;
• 10 months: the upper and lower lateral incisors;
• 14 months: the first molars;
• 18 months: the canines;
• 24 months: the second molars.

As this is just a general timeline, there are times when a baby will have four upper teeth and no bottom teeth, or vice versa.

Since 90 percent of childhood tooth decay is preventable, at Sunshine Smiles in Melbourne, Florida, we are dedicated to preventing cavities through early intervention. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children visit the dentist before turning a year old. For this reason, we offer children who are under the age of 2 a free consultation. Contact Sunshine Smiles today at 321-622-6255 to schedule your baby’s complimentary initial consultation.