Call the Tooth Fairy

When is it time to ‘call the tooth fairy?’

Baby Teeth

Aka deciduous teeth; primary teeth; milk teeth

Children grow at different rates, so eruption dates vary from child to child so give or take ~6 months. An easy way to remember the dates is that they’re about 4 months apart. Usually growth is symmetrical. So, if you see the lower left tooth is growing the lower right tooth is not going to be far behind. Lower baby teeth usually come out before the top teeth (approximately 2months before.)

Expect teething pains to include: irritability, gum soreness, decreased appetite, crying, sleepless nights, etc. Growing up is always a hard thing to do but it is natural. Be sure to check in with your dentist if you have any concerns. Always better to be confident that everything is healthy with your professional’s opinion.

A few tips for making the teething process bearable:

· cold washcloth to chew on

· teething rings/toys for infants

· chilled soft fruit

· ibuprophen/ paracetamol liquid suspensions for infants (follow manufacturer’s instructions!)

· regular wipes if drooling to prevent rashes

· fun games and distractions

· lots of love and cuddles

Interesting fact: baby teeth have stem cells!

Adult Teeth

Aka permanent teeth

Again, the lower teeth usually erupt before the upper ones. The difference is that there are approximately 3 years between eruption dates.

Once the baby tooth gets wobbly, you can either naturally let it wobble out or book an appointment to have it removed. Soon, you’ll see the adult tooth pushing its way through to replace it!

Wisdom teeth are a whole other subject. Weird and wonderful. They might grow quickly or very, very slowly over years. They may grow in an angle pushing against your other teeth or into your cheek. Or they may not ever develop at all! More on that another time :)

For more fun ideas and information for tiny teeth: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/dentisttin/tiny-teeth/