The child's fangs are climbing: symptoms

The appearance of milk teeth often causes discomfort and poor health in a child. Especially often painful sensations and severe symptoms of malaise accompany the eruption of canines. What are these teeth when they erupt in children and how to help the baby cope with the unpleasant sensations from this process?

Where are they located?

The location of the canines in the dentition makes it possible to call such teeth "triplets", since they cut between the lateral incisors (second teeth, if counted from the center of the dentition) and first molars (fourth teeth).

The timing of the appearance of canines

Usually, by the time it is time to erupt the canines, the child already has 12 teeth. We are talking about incisors (there are eight of them - 4 central and 4 lateral), as well as the first molars.

Normally, canine eruption begins at the age of 16-18 months. It is then that the fangs of most healthy babies begin to climb. More precisely, the average period of "pecking" of the upper canines is the age from 16 to 22 months, and the lower canines climb at the age of the child from 17 to 23 months.

As for the replacement of these teeth with permanent ones, then Loss of milk canines is most often observed in children aged 9-12 years. Permanent canines begin to cut from 9-10 years old. In this case, the lower canines are first cut through, and a little later (at the age of 11-12) a pair of canines appears on the upper jaw.

What symptoms indicate that canines are being cut?

Signs of the impending appearance of canines appear in babies long before the moment when these teeth appear from the gums. Usually, symptoms of their appearance are encountered 2-4 weeks before teething, but situations are not uncommon when the fangs begin to bother the baby even earlier.

In a child with cutting canines, parents will notice:

Bad mood, irritability and moods.
Excessive salivationwhich can provoke a cough or runny nose.
Swollen and discolored gums in places where canine is expected. They turn red and become more prominent, after which a new tooth appears under the gum in the form of a white point.
Decreased appetite and sometimes refusal to eat.
Restless sleep, which is hampered by soreness and burning in the gums.
The desire to gnaw and grind on various objectsso that they scratch their gums.

The pediatrician of the highest category Mikhailova T.M. tells more about the symptoms.

Such symptoms are observed in many babies, but when teething canines, more unpleasant symptoms are often added to them, including:

Temperature rise to + 37.5 + 38 ° С (less often up to + 39 ° С) within 1-3 days.
Loose stoolscaused by excess saliva swallowed by the baby.
Strengthening the gag reflex, which is also associated with a large amount of saliva in the baby's mouth.
Chin rash due to the irritating effects of saliva.

Is it true that eruption of canines is the most painful?

The appearance of canines is indeed the most difficult and uncomfortable process for children, due to the anatomical features and the location of these teeth. Their roots are long enough and go deep into the gums. In addition, the upper canines are located near the facial nerves, which is why they are called "eye" teeth. When this pair of teeth erupts in a child, in addition to the usual characteristic symptoms, lacrimation and other signs of conjunctivitis may appear.

Teething of canines on the lower jaw is not so painful, therefore, such teeth bother babies less, however, parents should be prepared for a temperature rise for up to 3 days, and for a short-term stool disorder, and for other "dental" symptoms that worsen the well-being and mood of the little one ...

How can I help my baby?

Since cutting fangs cause discomfort in many children, the task of parents should be to support the kids in such a difficult period and to be surrounded by their care. To make it easier for children to overcome the process of the appearance of canines, you can:

Offer the child to chew on toys specially designed for this purposecalled teethers. Inside, they are filled with gel or water. By placing such a toy in the refrigerator for a short time, mom will help cool the gums and eliminate their itching. You can also give your baby nipples on a bottle and special orthodontic pacifiers to chew on.
Use pharmaceutical drugs in the form of gels, which have anesthetic and anti-inflammatory effect. These include Dentinox, Kamistad, Dantinorm Baby, Kalgel, Baby Doctor First teeth and other similar products. It is only important to remember that before using any of the gel listed in children, you should consult a pediatrician.
When the temperature rises above + 38 ° C and in consultation with a pediatrician, the child is given an antipyretic agent. The drugs of choice in childhood are those containing paracetamol. An alternative option is considered drugs that contain ibuprofen. Both medicines are safe even during infancy and are effective in treating fever. Moreover, they are presented in several forms, among which candles and syrups are most relevant for children of the first years of life. The action of the syrup is faster, but also shorter, and although the candles do not immediately lower the temperature, they have an effect for a longer period.

How to prevent dental problems

Any mother wants the baby's teeth to be strong and durable, but caring for them should begin long before the eruption of permanent teeth. More precisely, you need to start caring for children's teeth even during pregnancy, when they are laid in the fetus. The more attentive the mother is to her lifestyle and her diet, the less problems with teeth the child will have both in the first years of life, when milk teeth appear, and in adulthood.

A pregnant woman should eat enough dairy products, fish and seafood, and also take mineral complexes containing calcium on the advice of a gynecologist. This macronutrient is necessary for the baby to form the rudiments of teeth, and if there is a deficiency in the diet of the expectant mother, this can cause dental problems in the baby.

After childbirth, for normal development of teeth, children need good nutrition, the best option for which is breast milk. In this case, a nursing mother must certainly eat a balanced diet. If it is impossible to breastfeed, the baby is given a high-quality mixture containing all the elements for the growth of teeth.

For the health of both dairy and permanent canines to be strong, you should not introduce the child to sweets too early. Candy and chocolate are best left until 3 years old or later. In addition, it is worth limiting the use of juices, because they have a fairly high sugar content. It is especially dangerous for the strength of the canines to give a sweet drink before bedtime.

Important for maintaining canine health and daily hygiene. While the teeth are just being cut, they can be cleaned with a silicone fingertip or gauze swab, and for the grown toddler, get a brush and paste suitable for age.