All About Baby Teeth

My lower teeth started appearing sometime in November 2007...a little late than most babies. Pa & Ma felt a little concerned when my cousins, relative and neighbour's babies all seem to have teeth by their 6th months and here I am at 13 months old and just starting to have teeth; one lower and two upper incisors.

This shot was taken on 25th November 2007

Fear not! Just read on this excerpt from here.

Early and late teethers

It's worth remembering that babies do vary. Some children have no teeth at a year and a very few are born with a tooth or two. The rate at which your baby’s teeth come through will depend on his 'genetic blueprint'. In other words, if one or both of his parents were very late or very early teethers, there is a strong chance that he will be too. Unlike his body growth, the appearance of your baby's first teeth is not influenced by how well he eats or how healthy he is. Teeth appear when they are ready.

A few babies are born with one or two teeth (known as natal teeth) already visible in the gum. If a natal tooth is loose, it usually has to be removed, in case it is inhaled into the baby’s windpipe.(Removal will obviously leave a gap until a second tooth emerges at around school age). But if natal teeth are firmly set in the gums, they usually cause little trouble. Consult your doctor or midwife if you spot a natal tooth.

It is quite normal for some babies still to be toothless on their first birthday. This does not mean they are backward! In this event, a visit to your dentist may reassure you that your baby's teeth are present in his jaw and will emerge in their own time .

The order of milk tooth growth (molars before canines) means that your baby’s smile will be a bit gappy at first. This is normal and he will soon have an even set of teeth.

Now thats a relief...Pa & Ma can stop worrying from now on.