Your baby is a miracle, and you enjoy every milestone of his or her development. It’s natural to worry if those events are occurring at a normal pace. We’re often asked by parents, “When will my baby start getting teeth.” Villaggio Dental has been Healdsburg’s family dentistry center since 1977. Let our experience with children ease your concerns.
While only about one in 2,000 babies is born with teeth, the “milk teeth” or beginnings of baby teeth form while the little one is still in your womb. You might see the first bit of white break through the gum as early as three months. If he’s a late bloomer, he could be closer to a year old before you see a tooth. Don’t worry, though, you’ll probably have lots of warning – several days or weeks of drooling, swollen gums, chewing on hands, sleeplessness and general fussiness. Some parents even report low-grade fevers and congestion during teething. It’s best to check with your pediatrician if these symptoms seem more than mild.
Most babies get the bottom, middle two teeth first. Then, the top front two. At this point they may experiment a bit with the new experience of grinding and learn that they can bite! Side teeth are the next to emerge. By age three, the second molars (way back, top and bottom) should be through. He now has a full set of 20 baby teeth. At about age six, you can expect the little one to start to lose those first teeth for his permanent, adult ones.
Our doctors, Robert Leach, Raafia Mazhar, and Jesse Whitely, recommend you begin bringing your child in for regular dental visits as soon as the first tooth erupts. By starting good dental care early you’ll help baby become used to the routine and avoid dental problems later.
To the compassionate, caring staff at Villaggio Dental, family dentistry in Healdsburg means that we care for you and the ones you love most as if they were our family.
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