Child Teething

Dear Patients,

“I think at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

As some of you may already know, my wife, Laura and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Luciana, into the world on February 23rd. Mom and baby are doing well, and want to thank everyone for their well wishes.

Staying on the newborn theme, I am often asked, “When can I expect my child’s first teeth to come in?” Most babies will have their first teeth erupt around 6 months. While 6 months may be the average there are a wide range of ages for the first teeth to appear. Though rare, some infants may be born with teeth while other’s teeth take over a year to erupt. Typically, the two lower front teeth are the first to appear, and most children will have all of their 20 primary teeth by two and a half years of age.

To help ease the discomfort of erupting teeth our office recommends giving the child something clean and safe to chew on. The plastic chew rings are often helpful, or even a damp washcloth. Be cautious that whatever you give your little one to gnaw on cannot be swallowed or aspirated. Sometimes the child can develop a small pimple on the gum surface which can be released by the parent rubbing the lesion. Over the counter medication can be used if the child is particularly cranky or running a fever.

Should you or someone you love have questions about child teething please contact our office.

Sincerely,

Michael W. Dagostino, DDS

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