Teething at 3 months

The order of eruption of baby teeth

Everyone is different, but it is still important to know how most babies develop. Children's first teeth usually erupt almost simultaneously on the right and left. The sequence is as follows: first the anterior ones (incisors, canines), then the posterior ones.

It is important to understand that this pattern of teething in children is average, and in your case it may happen in a different order or at a different time. This does not necessarily indicate any violations.

Doctors have compiled an approximate, average diagram of teething in children:

Don't worry if you don't meet these standards for several months. If the parents got teeth late, most likely the children will have the same. Heredity has a very strong influence on development. The teething pattern should not become an unnecessary source of parental anxiety. This is just a guideline, like all other norms.

Both the sequence and timing of teething in children can vary greatly. Only if you are “late” by more than 6 months (for example, nothing appears until a year), it is worth discussing this with your doctor. There are genetic disorders when the rudiments of teeth do not develop at all. However, this is extremely rare. Some diseases also affect the timing of teething, but these conditions in children always manifest themselves with some more obvious symptoms.

In any case, there is no remedy that would “cut teeth” - we won’t pull them out of the jaw. We also do not regulate the cutting order. All that remains is to observe the process in children and take care of their health in general.

Scheme for cutting elements for children

Dentists have drawn up a specific scheme for the formation of primary occlusion in children. However, it is necessary to remember that each baby’s body is individual, and the teething dates established by doctors may deviate up or down by several months. Pathological signs of bite formation in babies include early eruption of incisors (up to 3 months of age) and the complete absence of elements in the oral cavity by 12 months.

The standard scheme for the formation of bite in children is as follows:

• 5–7 months – lower front incisors;
• 8–10 – upper incisors;
• 10–12 – upper lateral incisors;
• 11–13 – lower lateral incisors;
• 12–15 – upper and lower molars;
• 17–22 – canines (upper, then lower);
• 25–30 – upper and lower molars.

Pattern of tooth growth in infants

If a child is cutting teeth at 3 months, then these should be the front pair of incisors. If the side elements are shown first, then it is necessary to show the baby to the dentist. The symptoms corresponding to the process depend on the characteristics of the child himself. In some children, the elements appear completely unnoticed, in others they cause crying, fever, etc.

What problems may arise during teething in infants?

Difficulties do not always arise. But sometimes, about 3 days before and 3 days after teething, the baby’s condition changes:

• gums swell;
• saliva flows more strongly (although a lot of it can be released without connection with teething);
• the temperature rises slightly;
• mood deteriorates (child is less active, cries more often);
• sleep becomes restless;
• stools become slightly looser and more frequent;
• your cheeks turn slightly red (no need to immediately look for allergens and change your diet).

These symptoms may not all appear, in any combination.

The difficulty is that the same symptoms, but usually stronger, can also occur in children with infections. Therefore, if your condition has changed significantly, consult your doctor.

Red flags (tell your doctor if your child has):

• temperature above 38 degrees in the absence of cold symptoms;
• a rash that is unfamiliar to you, which appeared along with a high fever;
• diarrhea, vomiting;
• lethargy;
• mouth ulcers or other sores.
• Eruption cyst (hematoma).

Assess how much the child's condition has changed. If he begins to clearly feel unwell, there is no need to attribute this to the teething of baby teeth. In this case, you need a doctor to rule out more serious problems.

Norm or pathology

Can teeth be cut at 3 months? The earliest age for the eruption of the first elements is considered to be three months of age. Dentists consider it normal for the first teeth to appear at 3 months of age. If the incisors appear earlier than the expected period, then the child should be shown to a therapist. The early appearance of elements on the surface of the gums may signal hormonal disruptions occurring in the body.

The appearance of baby teeth on the surface is accompanied by a number of distinctive symptoms:

• Pain in the gums. Because of this, the child puts fists and foreign objects into his mouth. At this moment, it is important for adults to ensure that there are no small toys or objects near the child that could get into the respiratory tract.
• Deterioration of the oral cavity. The gums swell and redden, becoming more sensitive to external irritants. In some cases, due to teething, the child may experience slight redness of the throat.
• Irritability and increased tearfulness of the baby. The symptom is associated with constant pain in the area of ​​​​the eruption of the element. At this moment, children become more active and faster.
• Disorders of the digestive tract, manifested by loose stools, regurgitation, and rare bouts of vomiting.
• Temperature increase. The symptom is due to the fact that when teething, the newborn’s body is vulnerable to bacterial and viral pathogens.

Medicines for teething in children

When your baby is in pain, you would like to have a reliable, effective medicine that you can give and sleep peacefully. As in the case of colic, when teething, the pharmacy will offer you a variety of remedies. Pediatric experts do not advise giving any medications without a doctor's permission.

Why? Homeopathic medicines are divided into true homeopathic (containing no active substance at all, and therefore ineffective) or pseudo-homeopathic. The latter contain some amount of plant components (usually chamomile and other, more exotic plants). The first ones do not work under any conditions, including teething in children, but at least they are harmless. Homeopathic remedies for pain containing belladonna (which was not even always listed in the composition) caused many deaths and were therefore strictly prohibited in developed countries.

In our country, the Commission of the Russian Academy of Sciences recognized homeopathy as a pseudoscience, but, unfortunately, there is no strict ban on potentially dangerous drugs. Since manufacturers do not always indicate belladonna in the composition, we recommend that you generally refrain from using any homeopathic remedies for teething pain in children.

Another case is gels with a local anesthetic drug (their name ends in “-caine”: usually benzocaine or lidocaine). Medicines like these are “freezes” that are injected into the gums when treating teeth. Although these drugs are obviously effective, they have also caused many child deaths. Substances of this group affect the functioning of the heart, because the gel is quickly washed off with saliva, and the child swallows it. It is especially dangerous if the parent uses a higher dose than recommended in the instructions. This happens often because these drugs only relieve pain for a few minutes. When the baby starts crying again, the parents apply more, often exceeding the dose. Now professional communities of doctors do not recommend the use of products with local anesthetics, but this does not stop their widespread advertising.

Deviations from the norm of eruption

Teething, although a painful process, is still natural for the body, but deviations in the pattern or time may indicate some pathologies. A delay in the appearance of primary incisors by a month or a month and a half is considered an acceptable norm, and if other children erupted their first teeth at six months, and your child’s gums have just begun to swell at eight months, do not sound the alarm. There's nothing wrong with your baby. Each organism develops according to its own rhythm.

However, there are several points that you should pay attention to and seek advice from a pediatrician or dentist.

What to do when children are teething?

The most natural and one of the most reliable ways to reduce pain is cold. Pick up an item - a “rodent” that can be put in the refrigerator. Freezing them is not recommended because it can damage the baby's delicate gums.

Often children prefer to gnaw on their parent's finger or, unfortunately, on their mother's breast. But parents may not have enough patience for a long time, so it is better to find a suitable teether.

It should be:

• whole and durable (the child should not bite off pieces that could cause choking);
• without ropes and beads (the rope can pinch the neck or break, creating a risk of choking on a bead);
• without paint with toxic components;
• just clean (no need to disinfect it).

You can refrigerate the fruit puree or put a few wet cloth toys in the refrigerator so you can replace them.

Of course, children chew not only objects that are ideal for this. But if with a teether made of one piece of silicone or a mitten with a silicone pad the child can be left alone in the playpen for some time, then with a bunch of small objects on a string around the neck or a bracelet made of beads, the same as with some fruit or vegetable, you need to look after it.

If cooling does not help, and the stress of teething is very severe, discuss taking pain relievers and fever reducers (ibuprofen is most often used) with your pediatrician. To be on the safe side, consult your doctor, but a single dose by weight (for ibuprofen is 10 mg/kg), given once at night for 3-4 days of active teething, will not cause harm.

Should I brush my newly erupted teeth?

Dentists strongly recommend starting to take care of oral hygiene from infancy. For newly emerging teeth, they offer special silicone brushes or wipes. A simpler option is a finger wrapped in gauze. You can simply moisten it with water or use toothpastes for children under 3 years of age (they are marked 0+ and can always be swallowed). The main thing when brushing your teeth is no violence! A little more cleanliness isn't worth the stress.