Teeth and teething.

The child drools and chews starting at 2 months but this is not a sign of teething. We have seen them born with teeth already out and the latest I've seen them erupt was 18 months old with no teeth yet. Usually it is 6 to 12 months old. The later they erupt the stronger they are and less cavities. Teething does not cause fever or wake them up at night crying. Call the office for an appointment if that occurs. You need to start cleaning them when they come out. Use a baby tooth brush or a washcloth on your finger to clean them. Use any tooth paste but use it very sparingly because if they swallow too much paste, it will damage their permanent teeth. Do not put them in bed with a bottle of milk or juice or it will rot out their teeth quickly. Just do not start that bad habit and you won't have to break them of it. They do not have to see the dentist till 3 years old. The dentist say they want to see the child at 1 or 2 years old just to tell you this. If you see any blemishes in the teeth, then make an appointment with the dentist.

Here are the usual published ages of teething:

Teeth	Nickname	Average Eruption Age of Baby Teeth (+/- 6 mo.)	Average Eruption Age of Permanent Teeth (+/- 1 yr)
Central Incisors	Front Teeth	6 months	6-8 yrs
Lateral Incisors	Beside Front ones	8 months	7-8 yrs
Canines	Eye Teeth	18 months	9-12 yrs
Premolars	Behind eye teeth	---	10-12 yrs
First Molars	First year molars	12 months	6 yrs
Second Molars	Second year ones	24 months	12 yrs
Third Molars	Wisdom teeth	---	17-25 yrs

Dr. Knapp