The Ins and Outs of teething and how to keep that toothy grin healthy.
But Helen at the grocery store said...
A great deal of misinformation seems to float around concerning teething, which refers to the process babies undergo and the symptoms they present when their teeth begin to emerge.
Case in point: there is a pervasive yet mythical belief that drooling indicates a tooth is on the way. However, a soggy, bib-soaking four month old may or may not be teething, since drooling often occurs as the salivary glands are developing. The thing to remember is that every baby has a different experience. In fact, not all babies feel discomfort as their teeth present, and sometimes the parents' first knowledge of a tooth comes when they see it!
Teething does not cause illness or high fevers. A baby with a temperature above 100° should be checked by a healthcare provider, whether cutting teeth or not. Teething can cause crying jags, mild fussiness, swollen, tender gums, and sometimes a low grade - below 100° F - fever. Babies will often seem driven to bite down hard on rigid objects.
Cutting new teeth can hurt! To ease your baby's pain, try gently rubbing the sore gums with a clean finger, making sure fingernails are trimmed well. This usually brings comfort. Frozen bagels work well for baby to chomp down on, as long as the baby is supervised carefully to guard against choking on large pieces that might break off.
Teething rings can help, especially the firm silicone type. Chilled, water-filled teethers feel cool on swollen gums. Frozen rings often break, so carefully inspect for tears or leakage and be sure all plastic teethers are free of BPA, PVC, or Phthalates.
Find safe teething products at:
http://thesoftlanding.com/teethingbling.html
http://thesoftlanding.com/nate.html
Finding the pearl.
There is no moment like the one when you discover your baby's first tooth. It is truly astonishing to see that tiny, almost transparent, glimmer of a newly erupted tooth; mind-boggling evidence that a transformation is taking place right before your eyes!
As a rule, baby - or deciduous - teeth arrive in a sequential order that is predictable. There are always exceptions, but usually the teeth erupt in pairs and the bottom two middle teeth, or central incisors, come in first. A couple of months later the top two central incisors poke through, followed by one top lateral incisor on either side of those. So, six teeth make up most one-year-olds' smiles: four on the top, two on the bottom.
In about a month, two bottom lateral incisors make their appearance. Next comes the first set of molars, then after that a set of canines. Between the ages of 20 and 30 months, a second set of molars nestles into place to finish the set.
Deciduous teeth last through the years of early childhood, while the mouth continues to grow. The "changing of the teeth" starts to happen at roughly age six to seven years, with teeth becoming loose and falling out in about the same order that they came along.
Tooth Decay.
Be true to your teeth lest they ever be false to you.
Dental caries, or cavities, is the primary dental disease of toddlers. Current data shows that over half of all American three year olds have at least one cavity. One common and entirely preventable cause of tooth decay in young children is Nursing-Bottle Syndrome; decay, usually beginning with the upper teeth, in infants and toddlers who fall asleep while drinking from a baby bottle or nursing, as human breast milk can cause tooth decay as well. During sleep, facial muscles relax, trapping the liquid and allowing it to pool around the teeth, bathing them in the sugars found in milk. Bacteria, or plaque, break the sugars down to form acid, which leads to a demineralization of tooth enamel - cavities.
As a toddler's food choices expand, more sugar shows up in the diet. Most important to remember as factors for risk of tooth decay, are frequency and duration of the tooth enamel's exposure to sugar. So, sticky sweets such as gummy candies, chewy caramels, and even, believe it or not, natural fruit leathers and raisins, need to be brushed off the teeth promptly so they don't stay on the surfaces of the teeth and cause problems.
Baby teeth are important even though they are temporary because if they are lost early due to decay, the surrounding teeth tend to move into the spaces. This interferes with the proper positioning of the permanent teeth, since they are crowded out and may not have sufficient room to break through.
Cleaning and Brushing.
Circle small, gums and all... As soon as they debut, an infant's teeth should be cleaned after feeding, as part of a routine. Early on, simply wipe off the teeth with a clean cloth. When a baby gets a little older, introduce a soft-bristled toothbrush sized specifically for young children. If you are concerned about BPA and pthalate in plastics, safe products are now on the market. It is a good idea to have teeth brushing rituals established by the age of two, after eating and at bedtime. Toddlers will most likely want to brush their teeth themselves, but they lack the fine motor skills and the ability to sustain concentration necessary for thorough brushing. Your challenge as a parent is to assist in brushing, often against the wishes of your willful child! Try allowing the tenacious tot to brush himself with one brush, while you help him with another, making a fun game out of it. Toddlers are know to swallow toothpaste, so to steer clear of flourosis, which is a white staining of the teeth, the amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush should be the size of a pea. Flouride-free toothpaste is available, which eliminates your worries and is a good option if your drinking water is fluoridated.
MAM BPA-Free Teach Me Toothbrush Setby Sassy http://recycline.com/
Tom's of Maine fluoride-free toothpaste for kids http://www.tomsofmaine.com