– DR. SAUMYA TANEJA (MDS, PAEDIATRIC AND PREVENTIVE DENTIST)

Baby’s first tooth is a milestone for parents. The primary dentition is a part of child’s development and parents, these days are becoming increasingly aware and concerned about their child’s oral health as well. To ensure the health of your baby’s teeth it is important to have the basic knowledge about the primary teeth, eruption pattern and their importance. Some of the major concerns that parents may have are discussed below

What is Deciduous Dentition?

The term given to baby teeth or primary set of teeth is deciduous dentition. They commonly begin to appear in mouth at 6 months after birth. By the age of 2 and a half or 3 years, complete set of primary teeth erupt in the oral cavity. There are in total 20 primary teeth- 10 lower and 10 upper.”

When do the Primary teeth start coming?

Teeth start to erupt when a child is around 6 months old. The first tooth to erupt is lower central incisor (lower middle front tooth) and the second one is the tooth adjacent to it (second central incisor). The next teeth to erupt are upper four incisors which start erupting around 2 months after their lower counterparts.

The last teeth to erupt are the second molars which come into the mouth when the child is 2 and half years old. Lower teeth generally erupt before the upper teeth.

Eruption timings of teeth vary from child to child. So it is completely normal if the eruption gets delayed by 6-9 months.

When do the Permanent teeth start coming?

All the 20 primary teeth of your child will be replaced by permanent teeth. The first tooth to appear is the first permanent molar that erupts at 6 years of age behind the last primary tooth (second molar).

First primary tooth to be replaced by permanent tooth is lower central incisor (lower middle front tooth) that erupts around 6-7 years.

Last primary tooth to exfoliate will be a primary canine or second deciduous molar around 11-12 years of age. Last tooth to erupt in a child would be a second permanent molar around 12-13 years of age.

How are primary teeth different from permanent teeth?

  • The hard outermost layer of tooth (Enamel) is thinner in primary teeth.
  • Primary teeth look whiter in appearance.
  • Primary teeth are smaller in size than their permanent counterparts.
  • Primary teeth have shorter, thinner but more flared roots.
  • Permanent front teeth have jagged or bumpy edges (mamelons) which aren’t a matter of concern as these wear off with age.

What is the importance of taking care of Primary Teeth?

  • Primary teeth preserve the space for their permanent successors.
  • Help in development of clear speech of the child.
  • Give child a beautiful smile and give face an esthetic appearance, increasing the self confidence of the child.
  • Help child to chew food properly and attain good nutrition.
  • Infection in primary teeth can affect the underlying permanent teeth also.

Is spacing in primary or early permanent teeth normal?

After 4 years of age, the jaw bones of the child start to grow causing increasing spaces between primary teeth, which is perfectly normal for the further eruption process. This provides space for the eruption of large sized permanent counterparts.

Between 9-11 years the space present between the central incisors (upper front teeth) is a normal phenomenon known as ugly duckling stage that closes with the eruption of upper canines, requiring no treatment.

What is Teething, it’s symptoms in babies and remedies?

Teething is basically growth and eruption of first few teeth in a baby, which can be uncomfortable. Better knowledge about teething can make you help your child deal with it better.

Symptoms of teething, though not same for every child, commonly include swollen, tender gums, irritability, crying, slightly raised temperature, chewing on hard things, drooling, rashes, changes in eating or sleeping patterns and diarrhea or vomiting sometimes.

Remedies

  • Soothing a baby with something cold in mouth like a pacifier, spoon, clean wet cloth, refrigerated solid
  • Hard unsweetened teething cracker.
  • Massaging their gums with clean finger.
  • Teething Necklaces
  • Teething Medicine like small doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen with consent of doctor.
  • Stay away from teething gels that contain Benzocaine

When should be your baby’s first dental appointment?

It is suggested that the first dental appointment for a baby should be before 1 year of age, which is within 6 months of eruption of their first tooth. First dental visit is the stepping stone in a child’s path of good oral health for a lifetime.