Teeth development

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Children are born with a full set of 20 baby teeth – 10 up the top and 10 down the bottom. You can’t see the teeth because they are usually hidden in the gums.

Each baby tooth emerges (‘erupts’) slowly over several weeks or months. As it gets to the surface, the gum parts to show the tooth.

Teeth erupt at varying times in different children. Most first teeth appear between 6-10 months. In some children, teeth appear as early as three months. In others, they don’t arrive until around 12 months. A very small number of children are born with one or two teeth. If this occurs, see a paediatric dentist who can check to see whether the teeth are loose and advise you on the best course of action.

Most children will have their full set of baby teeth by three years of age.

Teething

Parents often associate the following signs of discomfort with teething:

• frequent crying or crankiness
• appetite loss and upset stomach
• sucking on objects such as toys, dummies and bibs
• more frequent dirty nappies
• pulling the ear on the same side as the tooth coming through.

There is debate about whether these signs are caused by teething. They might just be a normal part of development or a result of minor infections and illnesses.

Things to try
If you’re concerned about your baby’s teething, you can try:

• gently rubbing your baby’s gums with a clean finger – remember to wash your hands first
• giving your baby something to bite on, such as a cold (but not frozen) teething ring, toothbrush or dummy
• cooking mushier foods, which require less chewing
• giving your baby something firm, like a sugar-free rusk, to suck on.

If your baby continues to be upset, see your health care professional. Teething might not be the problem.

Adult teeth

Permanent or ‘adult’ teeth start developing inside babies’ jawbones after birth. After a baby tooth falls out, a permanent tooth will take its place. Children usually replace their baby teeth at around six years of age. Back baby teeth are replaced at 10-12 years of age.

If a child’s baby teeth erupted late, the adult teeth will probably erupt late as well. If you’re concerned about your child’s dental development, see your dentist.

When adult teeth are coming through

• Children sometimes find that chewing is more difficult when teeth are loose or missing.
• It is important that children still eat healthy foods.
• Keep up your child’s teeth-brushing routine. Take extra care around the loose teeth or sensitive areas.
• Allow loose teeth to fall out on their own.
• If you try to pull out a tooth before it’s ready to fall out, it can snap. This can cause pain and infection.
• Sometimes an adult tooth will come through before the baby tooth has fallen out. If the baby tooth hasn’t fallen out within 2-3 months, see your dentist.

Teeth concerns

Finger or dummy sucking and teeth grinding are common childhood habits. Many parents are concerned that these habits will affect their children’s dental development.

Finger and dummy sucking
Sucking of the thumb or fingers is a natural reflex in babies and young children. Most children grow out of finger sucking between 2-4 years of age.

Vigorous finger sucking (you can hear a popping sound when the thumb or fingers are removed from the mouth) and prolonged sucking can affect the growth of jaws and alignment of teeth. If you’re concerned about your child's sucking habits, talk to your child’s dentist.

Sucking a dummy seems to have a soothing and settling effect on some babies. Prolonged use of a dummy, though, has been linked to higher incidences of misalignment of teeth. For this reason, the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry recommends that children do not use dummies after four years of age.

Read our articles on the pros and cons of dummies, and teaching dummy independence.

If you’re concerned about any of your child’s sucking habits, talk to your child's dentist.

Teeth grinding
Babies can sometimes rub their gums together when new teeth are starting to erupt.

Many children also grind their teeth at some stage. Some children just clench their jaws quite firmly. Others might grind their teeth so hard that it makes a noise. Teeth grinding does not usually cause damage to your child’s teeth.

Some children grind their teeth during sleep. Often, they don’t even wake up when they do it, although it’s sometimes loud enough to wake other people!

In rare cases, children might experience complications such as excessive wear of their teeth, headaches, jaw joint dysfunction and soreness of the jaw muscles. Devices to protect teeth can help and are available from dentists. If you’re concerned, talk to your child’s dentist.

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