Baby smiles – how we love them! Did you know that babies start smiling around 6 to 12 weeks old? Obviously, this is an average norm. So there may be babies who smile earlier or start smiling later. All those variations are perfectly normal.
Soon though you’ll be entering the teething time. This can be rough on your baby and on you. Think about it from their point of view – it’s often painful, disruptive to their normal lives, and can cause loss of sleep, changes in feeding habits, fever, or often combinations of these. While your physician can help get you and your baby through this period with options, being prepared for disruptions when teething starts can help you cope better.
Teeth appear in a certain order typically starting with the bottom teeth. The central incisors appear first followed by the lateral incisors then the first molars, next are canines, and then the second molars. However, as every child develops at their own pace and time, you may see teeth appearing in a slightly different order. If you are concerned, you’ll want to contact your pediatrician who can help you or refer you to a pediatric dentist. Most often variations on the “usual” are perfectly normal. Teeth generally start erupting between 4 and 10 months but there are babies that may start earlier than this and others starting later which are all within the normal range.
Once teeth come through how do you care for them? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, daily dental cleaning should start as soon as your infant’s first tooth appears. Wipe the tooth with a piece of gauze or a damp cloth. By age 2, she should have her teeth brushed at least once a day, preferably at bedtime. However, she won’t yet have the control or concentration to brush her teeth all by herself. You’ll need to supervise and help her so that the brush removes all the plaque – the soft, sticky, bacteria-containing deposits that accumulate on the teeth causing tooth decay. Be sure to use a small, soft, nylon-bristle brush. Use only a small amount of toothpaste – until you see that she has learned not to swallow it. Swallowing too much fluoride daily can cause permanent tooth stains. If she doesn’t like toothpaste, just use plain water for a while. Brushing and rinsing are more important than fighting about using toothpaste.
Baby smiles – with teeth or without – are the most charming smiles!