How Do Children’s Teeth Erupt And Fall Out?

Children develop primary teeth while in the womb, and the first primary teeth appear at five weeks of gestation. Babies have 20 primary teeth at birth, ten in their upper and the other ten in the lower jaw. The teeth hidden under the gums are also called baby teeth, milk teeth, and deciduous teeth.

• Incisors: Children develop different kinds of teeth named differently. Incisors are the front teeth in the upper and lower jaws with thin cutting edges. Incisors function together by working as scissors to cut food.
• Canines: the pointy teeth on either side of the incisors in both jaws used for tearing food are called canines.
• Pre-Molars: these teeth have flat surfaces and help crush food.
• Molars: molars are located at the back of the mouth with broad flat surfaces for grinding food.

Teething

Teeth breaking through the gum line of children is often called eruption or teething. Teething occurs in children at differing ages, from a few months to a year. While the precise teething time remains different, the order of tooth development is consistent. Generally, children have a full set of primary teeth by three.

Managing Teething

The immune system of babies starts changing by six months, making them more prone to put things in their mouths and susceptible to illnesses. Childhood illness symptoms include changes in sleep, eating patterns, fussiness, diarrhea, et cetera. If your child displays these symptoms, you can discuss the problem with the child’s pediatrician or the dentist near you to determine whether the child has bacterial, viral, or middle ear infections.

The teething process lasts about eight days, four days before and three days after the tooth breaks through the gums. Children may develop blue-grey bubbles on the gums where the tooth erupts. These bubbles are called eruption cysts and disappear without treatment. However, your child will confront challenges and pose some when comforting them. You can use some treatments but must exercise caution and avoid them unless recommended by the child’s pediatrician.

You may think using teething gels containing topical anesthetics help calm your child. However, research reveals these products do not relieve teething pain, and it is the act of massaging the child’s gums that provides relief.

Baby Teeth Care

Most parents think baby teeth care unnecessary because they will fall out soon. Therefore parents fail to take their child to children’s dentistry in Emerson as recommended by age one for a preliminary exam and continue the visits every six months. Parents thinking children’s teeth are not critical help themselves by understanding baby teeth are incredibly important to help your child to speak and eat correctly while acting as placeholders for the permanent teeth.

Parents must start cleaning their baby and gums from birth with a soft washcloth and brush their first tooth twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Dental visits are essential for the child no later than the first birthday.

Children’s teeth need brushing with a rice grain size of fluoride paste from 18 months and a pea-sized grain by 30 months. Children must receive education to brush their teeth themselves by age five, and switching to an adult toothbrush is suggested by dentists by age six. Children can continue brushing and flossing without supervision after eight years.

Tooth Decay Affecting Baby Teeth

Tooth decay is largely preventable by maintaining appropriate oral hygiene, refraining from harmful foods, and regular visits to the dentist for exams. Dental professionals help treat decayed baby teeth to prevent pain, dental abscesses, and problems with neighboring teeth. Tooth decay in children’s teeth affects their eating and sleeping, resulting in slow development.

Baby Tooth Loss

Your child will likely begin losing teeth by six when they become wobbly and fallout making space for the adult teeth. If your child loses a tooth a couple of years earlier is not a cause for concern because it is normal. The teeth in the lower jaw in the anterior region of the mouth are generally the first to fall out.

Loss of baby teeth can unsettle your child and cause pain. However, reassure your child that they are getting new teeth and use the time-tested trick of rewarding your child for losing the tooth and blaming it on the tooth fairy. You can use cold packs to soothe the child’s cheeks and gums or consider giving pain-relieving medications to help with loose tooth pain if you receive a recommendation from Emerson dental clinic to do so to help alleviate your child’s discomfort. Do not consider giving them pain relievers lying in your drawer because they are inappropriate for children. Dental professionals who know your child’s dental anatomy suggest the best medications.

Emerson Family Dental receives many parents with children teething or teeth falling out and recommends appropriate treatments for the child. If your child is in a similar process, arrange an appointment with the dentists at the facility with your child about the teething and eruption process.