Babies biting and chewing more often? Drooling incessantly while sleeping or awake? Probably, you are waiting for your baby's first set of teeth to sprout any day now. But have you ever wondered if certain babies get their teeth way earlier than others? In this article, we're going to break down all the questions surrounding early teething that had been draining your mental space lately.
What is Teething Exactly?
Teething refers to the process by which a baby's first teeth emerge through their gums. The timing can differ among individuals but typically begins when a child is around six months old – with some being born with few already grown-out nubs called neonatal teeth. Still, it doesn't necessarily mean that those without them will start later; every human has its timeline.
But can neonatal dentition1 (teeth present at birth) affect getting subsequent sets sooner too?
Conjecturing on This Query
As such, there haven't been many conclusive studies in this regard yet - despite individual experiences shared worldwide. However, one hypothesis suggests that these infants lack exposure to close-up time periods since they bypass regular oral health checks in utero and may acquire artificial nutrition formulas right after birth instead of breast milk being directly available.
Thus inferring- could greater nutritional intake accelerates teething growth generally as well? Let's deep-dive!
Onset of Primary Dentition: What Influences It?
Fortunately (or unfortunately), parents' genetic footprint plays no role when deciding how soon primary dentition should begin developing.2 This means every child follows its own pace based on several factors:
- Inherited DNA
- Nutrition and Overall Health: A healthy diet ensures ample nutrient availability supporting bone formation( dental structures included). If your baby's intake lacks balance of essential calcium, phosphorus alongside proteins or vitamins - this can possibly hinder growth.
- Environmental factors such as extreme hot or cold temperatures perhaps catalyze onset also. Still, these have no direct correlation supported by science so far.
Case Studies
Several case studies highlight assorted experiences linked to early teething- some surprisingly earlier than six months! Here are a couple:
Baby Caitlyn
Platt et al.'s3 report shares baby Caitlyn born with her first two lower incisors readily developed meaning that she teethe naturally like any other newborn would in about four to seven months. Howbeit, few infants reach such milestones before their first month is over!
Baby Mohammad
On the other hand, Al-Bode and Sakka's4 documented account outlines the child Mohammed who was clocking only two weeks old yet had already grown his primary mandibular central incisors completely!
Now you may wonder what could be reasons behind such precocious dentition rates? Though not conclusive enough evidence for generalization use-cases it indicates ample nutrition right from birth play a considerable part too.
Surmised above regarding environmental influences and possible nutritional deficit concerning later-than-average cases let us spotlight why specific babies see teeth sooner than others?
One theory suggests while inside the womb when teeth formation takes place (which happens between two-fourth-month)5, genetics determine tooth bud proliferation/chances but does not sway exactly time-based factors until further postnatal signals come into play.
Therefore still leaving room for fundamental adequate support during development prospects beside speculated outside 'teeth-gel' applications.(6)
So what precautionary measures should parents undertake if they suspect abnormal dentition patterns? Let’s dive in-depth now.
When Should You Worry?
In some instances, deciding to wait for dentition onset to normalize may work. Still, certain signs could spring up as your baby goes through this phase making it an appropriate time frame for visiting a pediatric dentist.7
Here are some ‘red flags' that raise concern:
- Neonatal teeth find gum tissue painful.
- Excessive inflammation arising within the gums or even fever-like conditions concurrently
- Delayed tooth eruption in combination with unusual bone growth indications like abnormal head-shaped skull (indicating craniostenosis) or lack of tooth bud formation -both possibly indicating genetic influence.
Whether you're welcoming early teeth with open arms or worried about delays, remember that every baby has their own timetable when it comes down to teething – all thanks to individual biological differences ruling it out uniquely.
While precise research on factors influencing early teething is still underway- always trust your gut feelings and watch out for any discrepancies during infancy developing stages cautiously!
But most importantly - enjoy your little one's extraordinary journey! You never know what wonders each day holds.