Teething

Teething might be called “cutting teeth,” but it is only a metaphor. Teeth actually grow in the gums and not outside of the mouth, When teeth come out of the gums they do not cut through the flesh. Instead, hormones are released in the body. These cause some cells in the gums to die and separate, so teeth can come through.

When a primary tooth starts growing through the gum, it can cause a little soreness and discomfort. Letting your child chew on something hard (like a teething biscuit or risk Primary) can also help. Babies teething can be full of bumps. This is because the surface of your baby’s new tooth is covered with a soft, shiny material called enamel.

Enamel has many microscopic holes in it that contain dentin – this is where blood vessels are that are carrying calcium and phosphate minerals make the tooth hard. When your baby’s tooth is growing, the enamel starts off soft and porous so it can absorb calcium from these blood vessels. As the tooth grows, more calcium is deposited in the tooth making it harder.

The surface of a new grum contains many dentinal tubules. These are tiny holes that go right through the tooth. When you rub your teeth together, they feel a little bit gritty because of all these tubules. They are so small though, it is hard to get anything inside them but water. This means that when you have something stuck in your teeth, it feels very slimy and slippery because there is water inside the tubules. This is called “water flushing for.” Unfortunately, it can cause decay because there is no place for the water to go so it just sits on top of your teeth and eats away at them as you eat or drink, as well.