Teething - soothing the painful process

The transition from gummy grin to a smile with 20 gleaming teeth can take three years to complete. Dr Howard Lee offers comfort for the misery and grizzles of teething babies

It all started in the womb, of course. While you were pregnant your baby developed tooth ‘buds’ – the foundation for baby teeth, called ‘milk teeth’. One in 2000 babies is actually born with a small tooth or two, but for the vast majority, these buds begin to break through the surface sometime between four and six months.

An early developer may show the first white cap (usually the lower, central incisor) as early as three months; a late bloomer may not show signs until almost 12 months, but this is no cause for concern. For most it’s around the time when you start to include solid food in their diet – about six months. Remember that premature babies may be a few months behind in getting their teeth.

When teething begins

6-12 months – lower two front teeth, followed by the two top front teeth or incisors.
9-16 months – two more incisors, top and bottom
12-18 months – first back molars
18-24 months – canines appear – in-between molars and incisors
Last – second molars – found in the lower and upper back of the mouth.
The full set of baby teeth is usually in place by the time your child’s three.
Every parent knows when teething first begins, it’s not much fun and can be a long, drawn-out process. Early symptoms often precede the actual event by a month or two, so you could be up at night consoling a fractious baby when there’s no sign of the offending tooth.