Is it okay for an 8 month old baby not to have teeth yet?

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Hi doctor. My baby is 8 months old, she eats and sleeps well and is still gaining weight steadily. However, up to now, my baby still has not had teeth, although other babies are only 5, 6 months old. Hope the doctor can help answer the problem for an 8-month-old baby who hasn't had teeth yet? When should I take my child to the doctor? I would like to thank you.
Pham Ngoc (Thuy Nguyen, Hai Phong)
Hello Pham Ngoc. Thank you for trusting and sending questions to the mailbox of Vinmec International General Hospital. With the problem that your 8-month-old baby has not had teeth yet, Doctor II Tran Thi Linh Chi - Head of Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec Hai Phong General Hospital answered as follows:

1. Children 8 months without teeth: Parents should not be too worried

In children, normally, all 20 crowns of milk teeth have formed and are located in the jawbone. After a period of time, baby teeth will begin to grow out of the jawbone and gums. Each baby usually needs from 2.5 to 3 years to fully develop these 20 baby teeth.
The baby's baby teeth usually come in every week according to a certain process, specifically as follows:
From the first 6 to 10 months of life, the baby will grow 2 front teeth. From the 8th to the 12th month, the baby grows the next two upper front teeth, commonly called 2 rabbit teeth. When the baby is 9-13 months old, the next 2 upper front teeth will grow. So, at the age of 1, babies usually have 6 incisors, including 4 upper teeth. When your baby is 10 - 16 months old, he will have two lower front teeth. After growing all 8 incisors, from the 13th to 19th months, the baby will grow two more upper molars in a backward position. Next, when the baby is about 14-18 months old, the baby will have 2 lower molars. From months 16 to 22 is the time when the baby grows two upper canines to fill the vacant position. From months 17 to 23, your baby will grow two more lower canines and have a beautiful all-tooth smile. Finally, from the 25th to 33rd month, babies will grow their last 2 upper molars.

Thus, according to the above process, it is not too late for an 8-month-old baby to have teeth yet. Some babies grow their first 2 front teeth early when they are 4, 5 months old. There are also babies who grow these 2 teeth later at 9 - 10 months old. Even some babies don't start teething until 11-12 months old. Therefore, you Ngoc should not be too worried because your child has not yet teethed.

2. Reasons why an 8-month-old baby still hasn't had teeth yet?

If the children are slow to teething but still develop well, there is no cause for concern, because it is physiological delay in teething.
In case the baby's teething is delayed along with other signs such as: Slow weight gain, height does not increase or increase little, lazy to eat, curly hair, ... then the mother should take the baby to the hospital for examination. reputable pediatric clinic.
Usually, 8-month-old babies do not have teeth because of the following reasons:
Due to genetic factors from the family. Premature babies. Children have an inappropriate diet and lack of nutrients. Due to the late introduction of solid foods by parents, the gums and teeth are not stimulated by the chewing and swallowing reflex. Due to malnutrition, slow growth, lack of calcium, vitamin D and other necessary nutrients. At this time, the baby often has manifestations such as lazy to eat, curly hair, night sweats, not sleeping deeply, flattened skull, wide fontanelle, ... Mother should take the baby to the doctor to be examined by a doctor. consulting solutions.

3. 8-month-old baby has not yet teethed: What should mother do?

In the case of Ngoc's baby, the baby is 8 months old and has not yet teethed but is still developing well, this may be due to physiological problems. However, for peace of mind, you should still take your baby to the doctor to be examined and pinpoint the exact cause.

In the case of an 8-month-old child who has not yet teethed due to rickets, malnutrition, in addition to the treatment regimen with drugs and functional foods given by the doctor, you should apply some of the following:
Need to improve diet Children's diet and nutrition are varied and adequate. Increase your baby's daily food intake, giving priority to fatty foods, animal foods, dairy products, etc. Each bowl of baby's food needs 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil to increase its ability to eat. absorption of calcium and vitamin D. Let your baby sunbathe from 15 to 30 minutes, before 9 am or after 4 pm every day to increase the synthesis of vitamin D, thereby helping the baby absorb calcium better. If the baby is breastfed, the mother needs to have a nutritious, non-abstinent diet to increase the absorption of nutrients through breast milk. If your baby drinks formula, do not mix formula with powdered water, vegetable juice, porridge or mineral water because this will reduce the baby's ability to absorb nutrients. Above is the information to answer the question of 8 month old baby not teething okay. Ngoc should observe more, if after the 10th - 12th month, the baby still has not had teeth, you should take your baby to the doctor for the most specific advice.

Besides, parents also need to supplement their children with essential micro-minerals such as zinc, lysine, chromium, selenium, vitamin B1, ... to fully meet the nutritional needs of children. The addition of these essential vitamins also supports digestion, enhances nutrient absorption, improves anorexia, and helps children eat well. Parents can simultaneously apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption. The most important thing is that improving your baby's symptoms often takes a long time. Combining many types of functional foods at the same time or changing many types in a short time can make the baby's digestive system unable to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really patient with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.