Baby Teething: 4 Good Habits to Support Your Baby’s Oral Health

Your baby is teething! Moms and dads may notice tiny white teeth slowly emerging from your baby’s gums. Congratulations — your baby can now begin to get more complete nutrients through solid complementary foods! However, some parents may also feel worried if their baby’s first tooth has not appeared yet. So, when is it considered normal for a baby’s first primary tooth to come in? What important functions do primary teeth have for babies? To help maintain your baby’s oral health, what good habits should parents help their baby develop? Let GENNIE’S walk you through everything below!

The Important Role of Primary Teeth During Baby Teething — Development and Function

The development of primary teeth begins during the fetal stage. All primary teeth already exist within the alveolar bone before a baby is born. In very rare cases, some newborns are born with teeth. These teeth are called natal teeth. Teeth that appear before the baby’s first month are called neonatal teeth. These two types of teeth usually grow in the lower front gum area. If a baby’s primary teeth erupt too early, the teeth may hurt the baby’s tongue, bite the mother’s nipple during breastfeeding, or even become a choking risk if the teeth are not secure enough and the baby accidentally swallows them. For these reasons, it is recommended to visit a pediatric dentist for further evaluation.

Primary teeth have the same main functions as permanent teeth: chewing food, helping with pronunciation and speech, and maintaining facial structure. In addition, primary teeth have another important task — maintaining the space needed for permanent teeth to erupt. Children usually begin replacing primary teeth at around 6 years old, mainly in the incisor area. As for the primary molar area, which is responsible for important chewing functions, replacement may not begin until around age 10 at the earliest. This means primary teeth stay with children for quite a long time and need to be well cared for.

Baby Teething Order: Tiny White Teeth May Appear Around 6 Months!

Some parents may worry, “What should I do if my baby still hasn’t started teething?” Please do not panic too much. Baby teething follows certain patterns and principles. Let’s use the baby teething order chart below to understand when baby teeth usually appear!

In general, while the order and speed of baby teething can vary from child to child, most babies grow their first primary tooth after 6 months of age. It is usually the lower central incisor, also known as a front tooth. During teething, the baby’s gums may become red, swollen, and raised, and the white tooth begins to emerge from the gums. In most cases, the lower primary teeth come in first. Usually 2 to 6 months later, the corresponding tooth in the upper jaw — the upper front tooth in the center — will also begin to erupt.

Babies have a total of 20 primary teeth, and they usually all erupt by around 2.5 to 3 years old. Parents do not need to worry too much if their baby’s teeth come in a little slowly. You can refer to the “Baby Teething Order Chart” below to compare your baby’s teething progress. If your baby is over 1 year old and still has not grown any teeth, you should consult a doctor for an examination.

Develop 4 Good Habits During Baby Teething to Help Keep Cavities Away

The teething stage is an important milestone in a baby’s development. As primary teeth emerge, it also means the baby’s diet gradually shifts from milk-based liquid foods to solid complementary foods. Parents are encouraged to help babies develop the following 4 good habits during the teething stage to better maintain oral health!

1. Stop Night Feeding After Teething Begins

Night feeding refers to babies drinking formula or breast milk before bedtime. However, it is worth noting that even when a mother breastfeeds directly and the milk flows straight to the baby’s throat without passing over the teeth, night feeding may still lead to cavities. This is because when babies suck on the nipple or bottle nipple, it may wear down the enamel and make teeth more prone to cavities, resulting in what is known as “baby bottle tooth decay.” Therefore, it is recommended that after the baby’s first tooth comes in, parents can help the baby stop night feeding. Parents should also help carefully clean the baby’s teeth after milk feedings to reduce the risk of cavities.

2. Use Toothpaste and Mouthwash in Appropriate Amounts

Fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash for children can help protect baby teeth. So when can babies start using children’s toothpaste or children’s mouthwash? Although some children’s toothpastes are safe to swallow, they are not recommended before babies learn to spit, in order to avoid accidental swallowing and discomfort. Parents can first train babies to rinse and spit on their own before using mouthwash. Before that, to help maintain oral health, parents can moisten the toothbrush with a very small amount of children’s mouthwash and guide the baby to learn brushing. This helps prevent too much foam from forming and reduces the chance of accidental swallowing.

3. Clean Teeth Regularly After Meals

After the age of 1, babies can gradually develop a regular three-meal eating routine. Parents should also help babies build healthy eating habits, such as eating a balanced diet, eating at regular times and in appropriate amounts, and avoiding holding food in the mouth for long periods or taking too long to finish meals. Parents are encouraged to keep eating and milk-drinking times focused, and guide babies to clean their teeth right after eating, helping them build the good habit of being responsible for brushing their own teeth.

4. Visit the Dentist Regularly

Parents play the most important role in helping safeguard baby oral health. When the baby’s first tooth comes in, it is recommended to visit a dentist, mainly to receive oral health education and understand the current oral care condition. In addition, the Child Health Handbook also reminds parents that starting from 1.5 years old, babies should visit the dentist every 6 months for regular checkups. Regular dental visits not only help confirm how well the teeth are being cleaned, but also help babies understand that seeing the dentist supports healthy teeth, making them less afraid of dental visits.

Primary Teeth Are More Important Than You Think! Every Parent Is a Guardian of Baby Oral Health

Primary teeth not only help babies bite and chew solid complementary foods, allowing them to absorb a wider variety of nutrients, but also help with pronunciation and maintain facial appearance. In addition, because each primary tooth will eventually fall out and be replaced by a specific permanent tooth, primary teeth can be said to reserve space for the growth of future permanent teeth, making them very important. If your baby’s primary teeth have not yet erupted, you can refer to the baby teething order chart above and allow about a year of observation. If your baby still has not started teething after a year, parents can seek medical advice and have a doctor check the baby’s oral condition as suggested in this article. After babies begin teething, it also means parents need to pay special attention and help adjust the baby’s eating habits, such as gradually stopping night feeding, using toothpaste and mouthwash in appropriate amounts after the baby learns to spit, cleaning teeth after meals, and scheduling regular oral checkups. With timely guidance from parents, babies can develop good habits that support oral health!

This article is adapted from:

Written by Dr. Yi-Hung Chen, Department of Dentistry, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital Taipei Branch