Teething tips

Submitted on 10/24/2005
Category:  Infancy

Even whist your baby is growing inside you the first teeth are forming under the gums. Teeth are important for chewing food, talking, positioning teeth for straight and healthy growth and producing a warm smile.

Teething is the process of your baby's teeth appearing either individually or in pairs. Generally speaking, teething begins around six months, and will continue until your baby is about three years old. However in some healthy babies, the first tooth appears in the third month; in others, it does not emerge until the baby is a year old.

Usually, the front teeth appear during the first year; the first and second molars appear between ages one and three. Teeth usually appear sooner in girls than in boys. Teething patterns tend to be hereditary, so knowing when you and your spouse began to cut your teeth may provide some clues. Your child's physical and mental development has no connection with when he or she cuts their first teeth.

Baby teeth usually emerge in pairs; first come the two lower central incisors, the two remaining lower incisors, the first molars, the four-pointed canines, and, finally, the four two-year molars. Expect twenty teeth by your child's third birthday.

Teething (or "cutting teeth") often causes discomfort, restlessness and irritability. As the roots of the teeth grow, they push the edges of the teeth through the gums. The effects are usually most dramatic with the first teeth, because the sensation is new to the baby, and with molars, due to their large size.

For more Information related to this article, visit www.askbaby.com

Contributing Editor: tfarino@strategicbydesign.com