Around the sixth or seventh month of your baby, the milk teeth start appearing in the lower jaw. About 20 milk teeth appear during the course of 20-23 months where some appear from the upper jaw also. Typically within three years, the whole set of milk teeth development is complete. This would be present in the child until he or she is 6 years old and then start falling off. By the age of 12, the child would have lost all of the milk teeth.

While it may not be very eventful for some, other infants really cry out in pain and exhibit symptoms of irritation and restlessness. The order of appearance and the degree of pain vary between infants. Sometimes, the symptoms precede a few weeks before the appearance of the teeth and recur when the milk teeth starts appearing.

During the appearance of milk teeth there is increase in the amount of saliva. Gums start swelling and the baby tends to thrust its fingers or grasp anything available and put into its mouth. The infant also feels hungry and asks for milk more frequently. There is an increase in the intake of water. Some babies tend to vomit and looseness in bowels is observed.

Infants should always be kept in a well ventilated area in order to feel comfortable and less restless. The gums should be kept moist, hence constant feeding of water and milk is recommended. However, feeding should not be done for a long time and stomach should not be overloaded. Water can be given at frequent intervals to cater the thirst.

Breast feeding mothers should try and avoid consuming stimulant drinks as well as food items. Infants feel a lot of irritation in the gums and this can be greatly relieved by rubbing the gums gently.

Milk teeth development is important as they create the space required for the permanent teeth to develop and align properly at a later date. They are vital for developing initial speaking skills. In addition, milk teeth help a lot in chewing and are important for proper nutrition of the body.

Though the milk teeth are temporary, care should be taken to ensure that there is no decay of milk teeth in order to avoid problems in the future. By losing milk teeth at an early age, your baby runs a risk of developing misaligned and poorly formed permanent teeth. There is also a chance of developing jaw pains and also damage or decay or permanent teeth during development.

Avoid allowing your baby to sleep with the feeding bottle containing milk or juice. This would aid in the development of harmful bacteria which could be detrimental to health of the milk teeth.

Constantly clean the mouth of the baby by using a finger brush or a damp cloth. Rub the gums each time you feed. Remove any leftover food debris once you have given a meal. Once the milk teeth forms, wipe the teeth thoroughly. This would ensure that cavities are not formed.

Jonathan Pitts

Copyrighted material; do not reprint without permission.

 

View all articles by Jonathan Pitts