Teething is a phenomenon whereby the first teeth of a baby (the deciduous teeth, commonly called “milk teeth” or “baby teeth”) begin to emerge from the baby’s gums. These temporary sets appear in pairs, starting with the canines up until the second molars, and as the child grows older, around the ages of four upwards, they shed their milk teeth for the permanent teeth. The involvement of a well-crafted baby teething chart is essential in this process.
As a parent, you should expect your baby to start teething once they are six months old. However, variations occur as there are known cases where babies begin to have their teeth as early as four months old or as late as thirteen months old.
A Baby Teething Chart serves to map out the eruption and shedding timeline of baby teeth and permanent teeth. Filling out and maintaining a baby teething chart is an easy enough task. Parents simply need to add their child’s name, gender, and date of birth to the chart, and they are good to go. Afterward, all they need to do is note down the date when the first tooth emerges and falls off, as well as subsequent tooth growth, and then follow the chart sequentially. This gives them an idea of when the next tooth will emerge or fall to plan towards it.
Importance of Caring for Baby Teeth
A baby’s teeth play critical roles in their growth and development. Although baby teeth are temporary, subsequently giving way to permanent teeth, caring for them is extremely important.
That is because healthy baby teeth:
- Help with clear speech development
- Function as placeholders for their permanent counterpart
- Aid in proper dietary transition (unhealthy baby teeth will lead babies to reject food as a result of their inability to chew properly, which in turn translates to malnutrition)
- help protect the permanent teeth from damage as a result of decay and infection
- help the face’s shape-conformity
As a parent, you can start caring for your baby’s baby teeth by:
- Using a soft, damp washcloth to clean your baby’s gum after feeding, receiving medicine, and before bedtime
- Rinsing your baby’s mouth with fluoride mouth wash once they reach six years of age to prevent tooth decay and mouth odor
- Using a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to clean your baby’s teeth daily, removing food particles that may encourage bacteria growth, leading to tooth decay and gum infection
- Flossing your baby’s teeth daily
- Booking dental appointments as often as possible
Importance of Maintaining a Baby Teething Chart
Monitoring and caring at every step with regard to your baby’s growth and development is highly crucial. That is why maintaining a teething chart is essential.
The baby teething chart is essential in the process of maintaining a baby’s teeth as it helps the parents in the following manners:
- Track simultaneous teething symptoms
- Record the growth and development of all teeth
- Record the shedding of all teeth
- Tracks baby’s growth and development
Understanding Baby Teething Chart
As established earlier, a baby teething chart gives parents of a baby an idea of when the next tooth will emerge or fall to plan towards it. Therefore, the following is an illustration of a baby teething chart that shows and explains thoroughly how a baby’s teeth would fall out;
| Baby Tooth Chart |
 |
| Normal | Your Case | Normal | Your Case | Upper Teeth |
| 8-12 months | 6-7 years | Central Incisor | ||
| 9-13 months | 7-8 years | Lateral Incisor | ||
| 16-22 months | 10-12 years | Canine (Cuspid) | ||
| 13-19 months | 9-12 years | First Molar | ||
| 25-33 months | 10-12 years | Second Molar | ||
| 6-7 years | permanent | First(6-yr) Molar |
| Normal | Your case | Normal | Your case | Lower Teeth |
| 6-7 years | Permanent | |||
| 23- 31 months | 10-12 years | Second Molar | ||
| 14- 18 months | 9-11 years | First Molar | ||
| 17-23 months | 9-12 years | Canine (Cuspid) | ||
| 10-16 months | 7-8 years | Lateral Incisor | ||
| 6-10 months | 6-7 years | Central Incisor |
| Normal | Your Case | Normal | Your Case | Upper Teeth |
| 7-8 years | Nil | Central Incisor | ||
| 8-9 years | Nil | Lateral Incisor | ||
| 11-12 years | Nil | Canine (Cuspid, Eye Tooth) | ||
| 10-11 years | Nil | First Premolar (First Bicuspid) | ||
| 10-12 years | Nil | 2nd Premolar(2nd Bicuspid) | ||
| 6-7 years | Nil | First Molar (6-year Molar) | ||
| 12-13 years | Nil | 2nd Molar (12-year Molar) | ||
| 17-21 years | Nil | 3rd Molar (Wisdom Tooth) |
| Normal | Your Case | Normal | Your Case | Lower Teeth |
| 17-21 years | Nil | 3rd Molar (Wisdom Tooth) | ||
| 12-13 years | Nil | 2nd Molar (12-year Molar) | ||
| 6-7 years | Nil | First Molar (6-year Molar) | ||
| 10-12 years | Nil | 2nd Premolar(2nd Bicuspid) | ||
| 10-11 years | Nil | First Premolar (First Bicuspid) | ||
| 11-12 years | Nil | Canine (Cuspid, Eye Tooth) | ||
| 8-9 years | Nil | Lateral Incisor | ||
| 7-8 years | Nil | Central Incisor |
Consequently, the baby teething chart provides parents valuable information about their baby’s growth status (whether they are growing normally or not) and when to book their next dental appointment.
Essential factors that impact baby teething chart
There are a few essential as well as subjective considerations based on individual factors that impact should be kept in mind by any parents during the process of maintaining a baby’s teeth with the help of a baby teething chart.
Some of these are as follows;
- Gender factor: Girls typically grow teeth faster than boys, so when utilizing a baby teething chart, you should key that in.
- Area wise changes: The upper teeth usually precedes the lower teeth, with both emerging in pairs. This change should be identified properly.
- Baby teeth vs. permanent teeth: Permanent teeth are typically larger than baby teeth, while baby teeth are whiter than their permanent counterpart, which should essentialy be considered as well.
Normal Sequence of Teething
As stated earlier, baby teeth start to emerge as soon as they hit the six-month mark. However, variations do occur across children, with some babies having their teeth appear sooner, while others have their teeth later.
Therefore, the teething guideline or sequence exists to help parents know the ages in which specific pairs would begin to emerge.
Children start to lose their baby teeth as soon as they clock six years old. The shedding process begins with the central incisors, and about a year later, the lateral incisors begin to fall out. The next set of baby teeth they lose are the first molars and then the lower canines. The last set of baby teeth to fall out are the upper canines and the upper and lower second molars. Similarly, children begin to grow their permanent teeth at the age of six, replacing the corresponding baby teeth a few weeks after they fall out.
Eventually, all 20 of their baby teeth fall out, replaced by 32 permanent teeth, 12 more than their baby teeth (each jaw having 16 teeth).
Lower teeth
- Central incisor: They appear between 6 to 10 months
- Lateral incisor: They appear between 10 to 16 months
- Lateral canines (cuspids): They appear between 17 to 23 months
- First molar: They appear between 14 to 18 months
- Second molar: They appear between 23 to 31 months
Upper teeth
- Central incisor: They appear between 8 to 12 months
- Lateral incisor: They appear between 9 to 13 months
- Lateral canines (cuspids): They appear between 16 to 22 months
- First molar: They appear between 13 to 19 months
- Second molar: They appear between 25 to 33 months
Parents can consult a baby teething chart to monitor when their child’s teeth emerge, and the time they will fall out as variation exists between children.
Teething Signs and Symptoms
Having your baby’s overall well-being at the top of your priorities is a sign of proper parenting. As parents, you must employ watchful eyes in everything about your baby. Your baby’s teething should be no exception, as the process can be a bit discomforting, often resulting in eating difficulty, loss of sleep, and exhaustion from prolonged crying. In addition, teething comes with a few signs and symptoms that every parent must be mindful of.
These symptoms include:
- Sore and swollen gums
- Slightly elevated body temperature
- Constant gnawing on their fingers and even other objects such as toys
- Increased drooling
- Reduced appetite for solid foods
- Restlessness and sleeplessness
If you notice these symptoms in your baby, it shows that your child’s first set of teeth are about to emerge, and there is no cause for alarm. The teething signs and symptoms are strictly limited to the mouth and gums, and the pain associated with teething usually fades as soon as the teeth fully emerge. In addition, there are specific symptoms that children experience that are not associated with teething.
Such symptoms include:
- Frequent vomiting and diarrhea
- Rashes across the baby’s face
- Fever
- Prolonged coughing and breathing difficulty
If your baby develops any of these symptoms, it is imperative to seek the advice of a pediatrician, most especially if the symptoms persist over a significant period. That could be a sign that your baby is indeed ill and needs urgent medical attention.
Permanent Teeth Eruption
The term ”permanent teeth eruption” is a process that describes a child’s teeth development, from losing their baby teeth to developing their permanent teeth. This entire process takes place for approximately seven years, during which the baby teeth, which act as placeholders for their permanent contemporaries, begin to fall out slowly.
Development of Permanent Teeth
The development of permanent teeth is quite fascinating. These new sets of teeth begin to grow underneath the already existing baby teeth while the root of the baby teeth dissolves. Once the root of the baby teeth dissolves completely, the crown (top) of the permanent teeth grows, settling itself in the left space.
Eventually, the baby teeth become loose, and it falls out, leaving a pathway for the permanent teeth to emerge. As the child grows, the jawbones develop at a much faster pace compared to other parts of the child’s face creating more room to house the 32 permanent teeth
Wisdom Tooth Eruption
The wisdom teeth, the third molars, are the last set of permanent teeth to emerge. Most people do not yet have their third molars until they reach their late teenage years or early twenties. However, there are cases of people whose wisdom teeth do not emerge at all. Sometimes, people have to get their wisdom teeth removed for them to grow correctly. This is because their jaws do not have enough room for the teeth to come out normally, leaving them at risk of having impacted teeth.
A trip to the dentist is essential to prevent your child from developing impacted wisdom teeth. That is because the already existing tooth blocks the third molars from growing, leaving your child at risk of infection, inflammation, and tooth damage due to overcrowding.
Crowding of Teeth
When we talk about the crowding of teeth, we refer to the phenomenon whereby a child’s jaw does not have enough room to house emerging permanent teeth. That causes the teeth to grow together in a crowded manner. However, there are few causes of crowding.
These include:
- Supernumerary teeth (hyperdontia): A rare teeth defect that occurs when an extra tooth grows, disrupting the growth of other teeth in the mouth.
- Small jaw size: This translates to the disparity between teeth size and a child’s jaw.
- Early loss of baby teeth: In a case whereby a baby loses their baby teeth too early, from injuries, tooth decay, or extraction, the other teeth may shift into that space, altering the growth pattern of the permanent teeth. The result will be the misaligned growth of the permanent teeth.
In as much as these causes determine how a baby’s permanent teeth will be, heredity plays a considerable role as well. If you, as the parent, possess straight teeth, your child may as well. However, if overcrowding is prevalent in your family, your child may inherit these issues. If your child does have crowding issues, an orthodontic extraction will help solve the problem. However, regular dental hygiene and frequent trips to the dentist will help curtail crowding issues.
Tips for Maintaining Teething Pain
As earlier stated, teething is an uncomfortable experience for babies. In addition, the entire teething process varies between children as some may experience increased discomfort while others may not display any signs at all. Therefore, you must make your baby’s teething journey easier for them.
Some of the tricks to employ to make the transition a lot bearable include:
Using painkillers
Professionally prescribed painkillers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen will go a long way in relieving your child of teething pain. Consulting a qualified doctor before administering any pain reliever is the right step to take, as they are more knowledgeable concerning children’s health.
Applying coolant
Utilizing a suitable coolant will significantly reduce teething discomfort. For example, you can either chill a teething ring for your baby to chew on or place a cold spoon on the gums.
Massaging baby’s sore gums
The main pain area associated with teething is the baby’s gums. By applying firm pressure with a clean finger, you increase the blood flow in the gum’s tissues, reducing the pain and swelling. It is important to be gentle when applying pressure to avoid injuring the baby.
Avoiding topical gels
Topical gels contain lidocaine or benzocaine, which marketers say relieves teething pain. However, these numbing gels are not baby-friendly, and neither are they practical, as a baby’s drool will eventually wash the gel away. Several agencies did issue public warnings against using such gels (numbing and non-numbing ones) to soothe teething pain.
For example:
The Food and Drug Administration specifically warned against the use of benzocaine gels as it leads to a condition called methemoglobinemia. This condition is a blood disorder characterized by limited oxygen delivered to cells, and it is hazardous to children under the age of two. Symptoms associated with methemoglobinemia include elevated heartbeat, headaches, shortness of breath, and confusion.
Free Charts
Following are some free downloadable baby teething charts for you:
Frequently Asked Questions
Today, the producers of Tylenol insist that parents converse with their doctors on the use of Tylenol to soothe teething woes. This is because your baby’s weight does factor into the dosage administered, most especially if your baby is less than two years old. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there are several weight-based recommendations, and this should be a focal point when discussing with your doctor.
• Choosing between liquid medication, tablets, and infant formula since all Tylenol contains the same 160 milligrams strength level. Going with liquid medicines means that you will be giving your baby 5 milliliters.
• The dosage increases by 1.25ml for every 5-pound weight gained. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) lists 1.25ml as the standard dosage for babies between 6 and 11 pounds.
• You can give your child a new dose every 4 to 6 hours as needed, but you shouldn’t give them more than 5 doses in a 24-hour period, per the AAP.
• The use of Tylenol at night or between naps so that the medication works while your child is distracted from the pain. It is better to give your child a dose about an hour before they go to sleep so that the full effect takes place by bedtime. You can opt for a teething ring for your child to munch on while awake or have a play date with them to distract them from the pain.
• Utilizing the measuring devices that accompany the Tylenol pack to ensure accurate dosage
• Switching to dissolvable or chewable tablets as your child grows older.
Since we are naturally unable to understand baby language, knowing when they are in pain is often confusing. This is because aside from visible discomfort, we cannot tell what is wrong and how to fix it. However, there are common signs that indicate that your baby is experiencing some teething pain. These signs include:
• Constant discomfort
• Sleeplessness
• Pulling on their ears
• Continuous crying
• Increased drooling
• Frequent gnawing on anything that fits into their mouths
• Swollen gums
• Excessive clinginess
Much to popular beliefs, teething does not result in a fever. During the teething phase, your baby will experience a slight increase in body temperature, but that is about it. However, a full-fledged fever signifies that your baby is indeed sick and you need to visit a doctor.
With knowledge ever abounding, it is possible to manage teething pain from the comfort of your home. By combining natural treatments and prescribed pain relievers, you should be able to handle most teething problems. Nevertheless, it is important to visit a pediatrician if:
• The pain becomes too much for you to handle alone
• You seek to amass more knowledge concerning teething
• You’re tempted to give your baby Tylenol to help with the pain
• Something else is wrong with your child that you are not aware of
It is not strange to seek advice and expertise, no matter how small the case may be. Your baby’s health is paramount, and you should do everything in your power to ensure that they grow up hale and hearty.
