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Teething is the process during which an infant's teeth start to sequentially grow in. Teething can start as early as three months or as late, in some cases, as twelve months. Occasionally a baby may even present with one or more teeth at birth. The typical time frame for new teeth to appear is some where between six and nine months. It can take up to several years for all 20 deciduous (aka "baby" or "milk") teeth to emerge. The process of teething is sometimes referred to as "cutting teeth". The infant teeth tend to emerge in pairs - first one upper incisor emerges then the other upper incisor emerges before the next set begin to emerge. The general pattern of emergence is:
Milk teeth tend to emerge sooner in females than in males. The exact patterns and initial starting times of teething appear to be hereditary. When and how teeth appear in an infant has no bearing on the healthiness or developmental ability of the child. During teething, the new teeth are breaking through the surface of the gums. Signs of teething may include Teething has not been shown to cause fever. A slight rise of temperature may occur when the teeth come through the gum. But it does not make a baby ill. Infants chew on objects to aid in the teething process. This can be dangerous if the baby is allowed to chew on objects which are small enough to be swallowed or which could break while being chewed, creating a risk of choking. Teething rings and other toys are often designed with textures that will appeal to an infant during teething. In cases where the infant is in obvious pain, some doctors recommend the use of anti-inflammatories or child-safe pain-relief treatments containing benzocaine. Some infants gain relief from chewing on cold objects. Dentists recommend brushing infants' teeth as soon as they appear. It is not necessary to wait for the teething process to complete. Dentists may recommend against the use of fluoride toothpaste during teething.
Endocrine Disruptors Teeth budding and the human growth process can be affected by several factors. Sleep research is now suggesting factors such as later bedtimes can contribute to obesity and onset of puberty. Television, video games and video displays in general in a recient Italian study showed a 30% decline in melatonin levels for children that view video displays after 6:30pm. Exposure to certain pesticides, plastics, and food substances such as MSG, and unfermented soy proteins have all been suspected as endocrine disruptors which can affect the endocrine glands in charge of growth and onset of puberty and childhood development *. There is also a body of research and vocal minority in the scientific community questioning both the history of and motives of those contending that water fluoridation and the use of fluoride in general to protect teeth is of any benefit. Of particular note on the topic of this article is the contention that the endocrine system, in particular the pituitary and pineal gland are affected to the point of disrupting natural growth process and can delay the teeth budding through with the side effect of delaying cavities. Additional sleep hormone, melatonin and sleep cycle disruption has been observed to involve changes in puberty onset as well as fluorosis and osteoporosis. In today's market there are many sources of fluoride in the average child's diet: from formula to fruit juice to virtually any product with water in the ingredients; fluoride has been described as the largest unprescribed medication program in history and it is very hard to avoid giving at least some to your child, effectively preventing freedom of choice in a supposedly free market. (See)Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards (2006)-National Acad. of Sciences - ** See also dentition. | ||||||||
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