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Teething is an important stage in a baby’s development. It usually occurs between six and thirty months of age. This natural process is accompanied by various symptoms that may cause concern for parents: low-grade fever, occasional diarrhea, increased drooling, and even gum pain. Dr. Youssouf Ouédraogo, a dentist at the Yalgado Ouédraogo Hospital, tells us more about this phenomenon. Read on!
Lefaso.net: At what age do the first teeth usually start to grow?
Dr. Youssouf Ouédraogo: If we take the general statistical average, the first tooth starts to grow at six months of age and gradually continues to grow until thirty months of age, otherwise we will have all the baby teeth in our mouth. So, six months on average. Some children may start to get their first tooth at four months of age, while others may take up to eight months to get their first tooth.
What are some common signs that teething has begun?
Teething is accompanied by a certain number of symptoms, which are considered benign, that is, without complications. These are very mild signs. In general, we can observe a slight rise in the child’s fever, reaching about 38°, and this fever does not last too long. Some children may also have a few episodes of diarrhea, but the symptoms are not severe. At the local level, we note in some children increased salivation in the mouth, pain with some discomfort in the mouth, and a noticeable redness of the gums.
Fortunately, there are no complications with teething. We can observe diarrhea, increased temperature, loss of appetite, insomnia, redness of the mouth, excessive drooling, and sometimes oral acne in some children. But fortunately, there are no complications with teething. If you notice other more serious symptoms, you need to see a doctor because it may be another condition accompanying teething.
Can parents help ease their children’s emotions?
There is always a possibility to relieve these unpleasant feelings in babies. We should start to have a compassionate attitude towards the child and help him overcome this ordeal because teething is still a little difficult, but it is not a serious matter. The way that you can help children is to give them rubber rings that you can find in drugstores. These rings that they chew will help them to relieve the pain in their gums a little. When you also feel that your child is not feeling too comfortable in terms of discomfort, it is best to consult health professionals who can provide advice on this level, such as pediatricians and oral health professionals. There are gels and medicines in drugstores that can soothe the gums, but this requires consultation with a doctor.
When it comes to medication for children, it is best to avoid self-medication; you should always seek guidance from a health professional.
When should I start brushing my teeth after the first tooth erupts?
Primary teeth serve many functions, and there are many of them. First, there is chewing. Primary teeth are used to cut, tear, chop, and grind food for digestion, which is the right way for your child to grow, so it is important to take good care of these primary teeth. Primary teeth also play an important role in speech acquisition in children. When your child is learning to speak, he needs teeth to be able to speak clearly. These teeth will also serve an aesthetic purpose. These temporary teeth also guide the eruption of permanent teeth. Therefore, if we want permanent, straight teeth, we must take care of the primary teeth first. In studies, statistics often show that the prevalence of tooth decay in children is very high. Generally, it is above 50%. So for children, brushing teeth needs to start very early. As soon as the teeth erupt, you should be able to start brushing.
Brushing a child’s teeth requires a very soft toothbrush that will not hurt the gums. There is no need to rush to apply toothpaste to a child. For a toddler, a very soft toothbrush and water are enough to clean their teeth. We do not need to use adjuvants at this time, because the child has not yet acquired all the reflexes to spit out toothpaste. Toothpaste appears later, around the age of two or two and a half, when the child has already mastered all the skills to spit out toothpaste and rinse his mouth correctly. At this time, we can add a small amount of toothpaste suitable for his age.
Won’t using a pacifier affect tooth formation?
In my opinion, the use of pacifiers should be limited or even banned, because their use does calm the child and allows parents to do their own things in peace. But their use somehow prevents the eruption of teeth, and when the child gets used to the pacifier, you will later notice that the teeth cannot touch each other in the area of the front teeth, leaving a small opening. Even if the child later manages to stop using the pacifier, he will continue to maintain this opening with his tongue, or use his fingers instead of the pacifier, which, as we know very well, can later lead to a deformed jaw. So it is really good not to use a pacifier. Read more
Hanifa Koussoube
Anita Zongo (Intern)
Lefaso.com
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