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The first teeth

Information about teething

The first teeth come

The joy over the first little tooth is usually great. However, the time of teething is often also associated with sleepless nights, restlessness and slight fever. Here you will find the most important information about teething and your child's dental health to accompany the development as well as possible.

Die Abbildung zeigt ersten Zähnen eines Kindes mit dem Zeitraum, in dem die Zähne in der Regel durchbrechen. Nach den mittleren Schneidezähnen, die zwischen dem 6. und 8. Monat kommen, zeigen sich die seitlichen Schneidezähne zwischen dem 8. und dem 12. Monat. Zwischen dem 12. und 16. Monat kommen die ersten Milchbackenzähne bevor zwischen dem 16. und dem 20. Monat die Eckzähne folgen. Zwischen dem 20. und dem 30. Monat erfolgt der Durchbruch der zweiten Milchbackenzähne.

When does the child start teething?

The first milk teeth usually appear at the age of 6 to 8 months. The two lower incisors usually make the beginning. At about two and a half years, the deciduous dentition is complete with a total of 20 teeth.

How do the first teeth announce themselves?

The teeth are already in place before they erupt in the jaw. They advance slowly and can cause pain even before their visible appearance. During teething, the gums are often red. Some babies are particularly restless during this time, crying and having a slightly elevated temperature or diarrhea.

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What helps the baby teething?

  • Teething rings
    Cooled teething rings can relieve discomfort.
  • Washcloth
    Give your baby a washcloth soaked in water or chamomile tea to suck on. This has a calming effect.
  • Chewing material
    A hard loaf of bread or raw carrots to chew can also help.
  • Gentle massage
    For many babies, a gentle massage of the dentition is pleasant.
  • Tooth gel for cooling
    Cooling tooth gels with chamomile or homeopathic and herbal preparations from the pharmacy can have a soothing effect by reducing itching and providing short-term relief.
  • Drinking
    Be sure to make sure your baby drinks plenty during this time.

Why do even the milk teeth need careful care?

It is wrong to think that the milk teeth do not need to be cared for so thoroughly because they fall out anyway. The milk teeth need careful care from the very beginning. Because every diseased tooth, and this also applies to milk teeth, causes your child great pain.

Milk teeth also have important tasks for maintaining dental health:

  • Milk teeth are placeholders for the permanent teeth.
  • By chewing, the formation of the jaw is promoted.
  • And should the milk teeth have caries, there is a risk that the caries bacteria are transferred to the permanent teeth.
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When should dental care start?


Regular dental care should begin as early as the eruption of the first teeth at the age of about 6 months. Use an age-appropriate, very soft children's toothbrush with a small head. This will allow you to gently clean teeth. Teeth should be cleaned twice a day. This way, your baby will also get used to the morning and evening brushing routine right from the start. First care for the chewing surfaces with short forward and backward movements, then the outer surfaces with circular movements and finally the inner surfaces of the teeth.

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Parents can do a lot for their child's dental health as a preventive measure. The most important everyday tips can be found at a glance in this leaflet from the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA).

TipsDownload