You love seeing your baby's gummy grin, but you can't help but wonder, "When does baby's first tooth come in?" Learn more about the timeline and how to take care of baby's first tooth.
When to Take Baby to Dentist
The general rule is "First tooth, first birthday, first dental visit."
Follow-ups should be every 6 months for regular check-ups and maintenance. More frequent follow-ups may be needed, such as every 3 to 4 months, if the child has more severe oral health problems.
When Will My Baby’s First Tooth Come In
When will my baby's first tooth come in?
It's a question that every parent is likely to ask at some point. It's also one of the most common questions we get from our readers. So, we decided to write this post to answer it!
First, let's talk about the average timeline for a baby's first tooth. Most babies have all 20 primary teeth by the time they turn 3. But how can you tell when your child is ready for their first tooth?
At What Month Is Baby’s First Tooth Coming In?
It's between 6 and 12 months old when the baby's first tooth comes in, but remember that there are no hard-and-fast rules here. Some babies' first teeth come in as early as 4 months old! And others don't get their first tooth until they're closer to 18 months old.
A few babies skip teething altogether, but if that happens, they'll just get all their teeth at once when they're between 18 and 24 months old!
Signs That Your Baby’s First Tooth Is Coming In
Your baby's first tooth is coming!
You're probably wondering when it'll happen, what it'll look like, and how you can tell if your baby is getting a tooth. It's normal to be a little anxious—teething is a big milestone! The good news is that if you know the signs, you can prepare yourself and help make things easier for both of you.
So what are the signs?
- Your baby starts drooling more than usual.
- They seem cranky and irritable (especially around nighttime)
- Baby starts chewing on everything he or she can get into his or her mouth (including fingers!)
- You can see small white bumps in your baby's gums or on his or her tongue
- You see gum tissue growing around the teeth (called "white spots")
What Does Baby’s First Tooth Look Like
The “eruption” of a first tooth looks different from an adult tooth. The baby’s tooth will be small and pointed, with a rounded tip that does not look like the pointy end of an adult tooth. The top of a baby’s tooth is flat, unlike adult teeth with ridges.
A baby’s tooth will erupt at different times in different parts of the mouth, so it may take several weeks before all their teeth have come in.
What Happens to the Gums When Baby’s First Tooth Cutting Through
Teeth are made up of a crown, root, and pulp cavity. The crown is what we consider a tooth—the part that sticks out from the gum line. The root extends into the jawbone and anchors it so it won't fall out (which is why we're always told not to pull our teeth). The pulp cavity is filled with nerves and blood vessels that bring nutrients to the surrounding tissues.
When babies are born without teeth yet, their gums are flat. However, when the first tooth comes in, those gums swell up around it like an inflating balloon—and this swelling process can be painful for babies.
My Baby’s First Tooth Is Coming in Crooked
It's always a little sad when your baby's first tooth comes in—you know it means they're growing up so fast, but you also know that you'll miss their tiny gummy grin.
But one thing that can make this time even more bittersweet: is when the tooth comes in crooked. And unfortunately, it happens to a lot of babies!
Babies have small jaws and weak muscles, so sometimes when a tooth comes in, the roots don't line up perfectly with the gum line. This makes it hard to get the tooth straightened out after it's grown in, which can cause problems. If you've ever heard someone say, "Oh no, he has buck teeth!" or "She has an overbite!" then you know what we're talking about!
So if your baby is teething and you notice something seems off with their smile? Take them to see a dentist right away! They'll be able to check out the situation and get things back on track before any serious damage occurs.
Baby First Teeth Care
When you're a new parent, the last thing you probably want to consider is that your baby's first teeth will grow in. But if you want to raise a happy and healthy child, this is one milestone that shouldn't be ignored!
Here are some tips for caring for your baby's first teeth:
- Make sure your baby gets enough calcium. Calcium is essential for good teeth and bones, so ensure your baby eats plenty of nutritious foods like yoghurt and cheese.
- Wash their gums with warm water after every meal or snack. This will help prevent tooth decay and gum disease later on in life.
- Rubbing or massaging their gums using your finger or a cold washcloth can help numb them and reduce pain.
- Some babies relieve teething symptoms by sucking on a clean finger or pacifier dipped in breast milk or water cooled to room temperature (not too hot).
- If your child refuses to take any form of teething aid, try rubbing parmesan cheese or chilled yoghurt on his gums; both contain natural numbing agents that can help relieve pain
- Don't let them use a pacifier too much. Pacifiers can encourage thumb sucking and cause speech problems later in life if used too often when babies are young (4+ months old).
Frequently Asked Questions About Baby's Dental Hygiene
Your baby's first tooth is a wonderful milestone, and many parents cherish those gorgeous one-tooth smiles as much as they do those first toothless, gummy grins.
However, as more teeth emerge, you may wonder how to look after your baby's first teeth and if dental care and hygiene for babies are as important as it is for older kids and adults.
To help answer some of the questions you may have about caring for your baby's precious first pearly whites, we spoke to Dr Scott Chao of Dental Icon Pte Ltd.
Here's what he had to say about how to look after your baby's first teeth.
"What's the best way to maintain my baby's dental hygiene at home?"
Try to keep things as simple as possible regarding how you look after your baby's first teeth at home.
For small babies, gauze and distilled, or tap water is adequate.
For toddlers, you could use a finger brush and whatever toothpaste the child chooses or likes (Dr Chao elaborates that for his own family, he uses ToothMousse).
Clean or brush your child's tooth/teeth at least two times a day for best results. Ideally, you should clean his or her teeth after each feeding or meal.
It's essential to clean your child's tooth/teeth after any meals or feeding at night because the sugars from those meals that remain in your baby's mouth are especially detrimental to their teeth.
"My baby loves to eat sweet things — will this harm her teeth?"
YES. Sweets will be harmful to the teeth. But we have to be realistic here — without sweets, life would be miserable for kids and boring too.
So if your child likes sweets, the PARENTS (note the emphasis here, you cannot hold a child accountable for taking care of his/her oral health) need to be vigilant and put more emphasis on the prevention of tooth decay.
This means brushing or cleaning your child's teeth after every sweet treat.
"Does my baby need fluoride?"
Many parents are against fluoride, and you can dig up a lot of internet information about how bad it is and how it can even damage brain cells.
Yes, a child can get fluoride poisoning, but he or she would probably need to consume 2-3 bottles of concentrated fluoride gel for this to happen.
"I think you have to get your information from a reliable source. For me, the most reliable sources are the guidelines of the ADA (American Dental Association), the Journal of American Dental Association, and American Journal of Dentistry," said Dr Chao.
All these guidelines suggest fluoride does more good than harm, so consider using a kids' toothpaste that contains fluoride for your little one.
"How much toothpaste should I use for my child?"
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, a ‘smear’ of fluoridated toothpaste for children less than 2 years of age is adequate.
A ‘pea-size’ amount of toothpaste is appropriate for kids aged 2 to 5.
"What kind of toothbrush is best for my baby?"
Even though there is a huge selection of kids' toothbrushes in the market, your child's toothbrush doesn't have to be fancy. Whichever toothbrush they are willing to use is adequate.
"Should I floss my child's teeth?"
Ideally, a child's teeth should be flossed as soon as they come through. But we also need to be realistic here — if parents attempt to floss too much, it might discourage the child from maintaining good oral hygiene.
"So always tell the parents, that it would be SUPER awesome if your child is willing to floss, but I wouldn't worry too much about it," said the dentist.
I would instead, the child brush all their teeth — especially the back hard-to-reach ones — for an entire 2 minutes, to sweat over flossing.
ALSO READ:
Best Dental Floss in Singapore: Get Rid of Food And Plaque Between Teeth
Teeth Eruption Order And Timeline: Baby Teeth And Permanent Teeth
"What are the best foods for my baby's teeth?"
"Why should I bother cleaning my baby's milk teeth? They're going to fall out anyway."
"My child really hates her teeth being cleaned. What can I do?"
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