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The Five
Stages Of Teething
by Robin OBrien
Baby teething is a major baby development milestone. The timetable
of teething is different for each baby, although the vast majority will
begin the teething process around the same age and the appearance of teeth
will usually follow a certain order.
The appearance of milk teeth is the precursor to weaning; a physical
manifestation of a child's burgeoning independence. Most children sail
through the whole process but for some it can be a distressing and painful
time. Many parents can feel helpless and somewhat taken by surprise when
their baby begins to cut its first teeth. Understanding the physical changes
and anticipating when, and how, is the key to helping your baby.
Stage 1. Teething discomfort can start well before teeth even come
through - your baby is born with a set of 20 teeth hidden beneath the gums.
Just before they erupt you should be able to feel the indentations of the
teeth by running your finger along your baby's gums.
Stage 2. Usually, when your baby is between seven to twelve months
old, the first four front teeth erupt through the gums. These teeth are
called the incisors. It is usually the upper two teeth that emerge first.
Although they look cute, and make every parents heart flutter when seen for
the first time, they can hurt as they come through.
Stage 3. The appearance of the first molars usually takes place when
the child is between thirteen and nineteen months old. The first molars sit
just behind the canine teeth.
Stage 4. Somewhere between sixteen to twenty-two months of age, the
canine teeth emerge - however, the first molar teeth can appear before the
canines.
Stage 5. The second molars are just about always the last to emerge.
This occurs around twenty-five to thirty-three months of age. These are the
largest of the teeth; some children find the emergence of these to be the
most painful.
During each stage of teething your baby will want different aids in
soothing its discomfort. Cooling hot gums during stage one is a great
relief, whereas finding the best object to chomp down on is preferred for
the remaining stages. To ease hot gums you can purchase teething gels or
simply give your child a pacifier or ring that has been cooled in the
fridge. If you want to give your child a nursing ring to ease discomfort,
you may need to purchase different types for each stage of teething. You can
easily find these in most baby retail stores. Read the back of the packaging
to tell if the ring is suitable for your child's teething needs - during
early teething you'll want a teething ring that your child can chew its
front teeth on, but during the final stages of teething, you'll want to
purchase one that is most suitable for the back teeth.
Finally, your child will be in possession of all its teeth and you
can then rest easy. Or can you? Just when your child has got all its milk
teeth (deciduous teeth) it will start loosing them again, to be replaced by
adult teeth. The first teeth to fall out are usually the front four teeth;
this starts around the child's sixth to eight birthday. The rest of the
other teeth fall out in pretty much the same order as the appeared; front
teeth first, second molars last.
Robin O'Brien is founder of a website dedicated to
baby teething. There, you can learn everything from teething symptoms to
natural teething remedies.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
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