Parents tend to ignore the development of toddlers’ teeth. This is primarily because they often grow and arrange themselves without much help. If you’re following the basic guidelines of safety with your infant’s oral health, then their teeth shouldn’t give you much of a cause for concern. Your child’s teeth are constantly aligning and growing. Being aware of the whole process of tooth generation will help you notice anything abnormal. It will also ensure your child’s dental health is secure. So here’s a simple guide to help you understand your infant’s development of teeth.
About Baby Teeth
Most people think that babies are born without teeth- this is actually not true. After 6 months of being born, 20 teeth known as baby teeth start showing up which they are born with. All of these teeth are visible by 2 or 3 years of age, at the maximum. This entire process is known as teething.
Second molars, first molars, canine teeth, lateral incisors, and central incisors are what divides baby teeth into 5 categories. You’ll notice that the teeth in the central bottom of the jaw come out the first for most babies.
Baby teeth are important even though they’re set to be replaced soon. Permanent teeth will replace these baby teeth by age 6. Baby teeth are more likely to get tooth decay since the enamel is thinner- they’re also shorter than permanent teeth. The roots are such that they dissolve easily for the permanent teeth to sprout out.
Keeping baby teeth clean and safe is important because any damage can affect the permanent teeth underneath. These teeth also help your baby chew, talk, and hold a place for the upcoming permanent teeth.
The Adult Teeth
Between the ages of 6 to 12 your child will grow out of baby teeth and adult teeth will set in. This process starts around age 4 with the facial and jaw bones start growing and expanding- this puts a lot of space between the primary baby teeth. This is natural and gives more space for permanent teeth to grow in.
Cold clean washcloths or chilled tooth rings can help frustrated children when they’re teething. You can even use dummy teeth.
Once all the baby teeth are out- your child should have a set of 32 permanent teeth.