What to do if your baby’s teeth haven’t come through

August 26, 2021 5:01 pm Published by admin

Babies are actually born with all their teeth already there – you just can’t see them. The
teeth are in the gums, and the baby or milk teeth start to emerge first. This normally
happens from 4 months onwards, but can start as late as 15 months of age. The front, lower
teeth are normally the first baby teeth to emerge, with several teeth emerging every four
months after that.

Causes for delay

Milk teeth may not emerge on schedule for a number of reasons. Genetics can be a factor –
if either parent had late-emerging teeth, it’s likely that baby will too. Conditions such as
Down syndrome, or developmental disorders that affect the endocrine system, can affect
the development of the teeth. Premature babies can also have delays – because,
developmentally, they are a few months behind other children of the same age. A lack of
the right nutrition can also be a cause, if baby doesn’t have enough vitamins or calcium to
grow teeth and bones in the right way. Impacted teeth can also become stuck in the gums,
stopping them emerging normally.

Complications

Late teeth for babies may affect speech, and cause problems when eating because there are
no teeth to chew with. However, if the teeth come through later, these kinds of issues can
usually be corrected. The delays can also cause problems with the jaw bone – if teeth are
not there when they should be, the jaw bone can shrink. Another possible complication is
uneven teeth. Late baby teeth can lead to problems with the adult set, when they start to
emerge later, as the baby teeth obstruct the way.

When to take action

You can see a pediatric dentist near you, at around nine months if no baby tooth has started
to come through at all. Up to a year is considered to be normal, if your child is otherwise
healthy. More often than not, it’s a small delay and not to be worried about. However, it’s
best to check with your pediatric dentist, who specializes in dentistry for kids. They can take
an X-ray and perform other tests. Baby teeth are very important to your baby’s
development, so don’t neglect it.

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