A baby’s milk teeth begin to erupt while still in the mother’s womb, when the gestational age is only 6 weeks. Then, after birth, the baby’s teeth usually start to erupt between the ages of 4-15 months. Most babies erupt their lower middle teeth around the age of 6 months. Then, gradually, the remaining 20 baby teeth appear within three years. If the baby has not erupted their first tooth by the time they are 15 months old, there is reason for parents to worry. Before that, there is not much reason to worry. If the teeth do not erupt even by 18 months, you must consult a doctor.
When looking for reasons why a child’s teeth may erupt late, the first thing to do is to look at the child’s family history. In many cases, delayed teething is hereditary. In that case, there is nothing to worry about.
Babies who are born prematurely, that is, before 36 weeks, or with low birth weight, may also have delayed teething.
Even if a child is malnourished, the formation of bones and other tissues in the body may be hindered. This happens when the child is deficient in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D (rickets), vitamin A, and vitamin C. In addition to regular breastfeeding, treatment in these cases must be taken as per the doctor’s advice.
The pituitary gland and thyroid gland control various functions of the body, and a lack of these hormones can also delay teething.
If the baby’s gums become hard due to fibrosis, it may prevent the baby’s teeth from erupting.
Diseases that reduce a child’s immunity; such as anemia, cancer; the effects of various medications, such as phenytoin, and chemotherapy may delay tooth eruption in children.
Several other genetic complications, including Down syndrome, can also cause a baby’s teeth to erupt late.
When teeth erupt late, malnutrition can occur and growth can be stunted due to difficulty chewing age-appropriate foods. The child’s permanent teeth may become crooked in the future, and the child may even have difficulty erupting permanent teeth. In some rare cases, the child may have extra teeth, and at the same time, the child’s baby teeth and permanent teeth may coexist in the gums.
If a child’s teething is delayed, do not panic, but pay attention to the child’s other growth and development and seek necessary treatment as recommended by the doctor.
