WHERE ARE HIS TEETH?

[sparkle]

My DS is now 18 months and has only 6 teeth. He got his first one at 9 months and then others have appeared months appart. Each time his gum starts to swell and even when I can see the tooth beneath the surface, it still takes weeks to break through. I feel as if he is permanently teeching and wonder if it is normal to have so few teeth at his age when other much younger babies have so many more. I keep getting friends say "Oh he/she was a bit grisly last night and then this morning two teeth had popped through" Wish I could say the same!!

DS hasn't been to see a dentist yet but I wonder if I should take him along to check everything is on track. Would they be able to tell?

My oldest son who will be 4 in April has only just got his last 4 molars come through at the back I did mention it to the Dentist who said not to worry as it's quite normal for them to still be coming through at 3.5 yrs old.
So I afraid the teething symptoms will probably go on for a while, my younger son seems to have been teething constantly from the age of 6 months (he's 19 months now) so we're in the same boat as he's still got loads to come through yet.

My ds is 16months and has the same no of teeth. I'm not a bit worried. They'll turn up in their own time. He doesn't have trouble eating. All babies are different. Just be patient! I don't know any totally gummy adults so I'm sure all will be fine in time.

Sparkle, it sounds like my dd is very like your ds. She got her first tooth at 9 months, and the second is just peeping out of the gum, three days after her first birthday. At this rate she'll only have four by the time she's 18 months old. I know what you mean about the constant teething, though, and dd still won't eat anything lumpy, presumably because she can't chew very well yet!
Just wanted to let you know you are not alone.

My dd2 is 20 mns and has 2 at the top and is just getting 4 at the bottom - she was 16 mns before she even had her first tooth!

Never stopped her eating all sorts - much more advanced than dd1 who had new teeth vitually daily in her prime !

I also noticed at the weekend she has part of an upper molar coming through as well - so they definately don't always come through as you would expect !!

I don't know why books continue to print eruption dates for teeth. It means most parents think their kids' teeth are either early or late when in fact there is a huge range of ages for teeth to come through.
Don't worry about it Sparkle.

Thanks for all your messages and it is nice to know that DS is not the only (almost) toothless wonder!!

Jasper there's an 8 yr old in DS's class still with his upper A's and no sign of them wobbling. So see what you mean about those eruption dates.

This thread was nice and comforting to read. DD is 9 and half months now and, despite showing 'teething symptoms' on and off since being 3 months old, she still has no teeth and there is not even a lumo or bump in sight on her gums.

Ds1 had afull set of choppers by the time he was bout a year old- ds2 has 4 on top and two on the bottom. He's a nightmare though as a) he seems to be constantly teething- just not doing anything about it and b) he chokes on everything. Ds1 likes to stuff food into his mouth and he just starts choking if it's even slightly chewy. I'm always whacking him on the back- it frightens me!

Don't worry girls ... just you wait ... my DS got his first tooth at 9 months. At 20 months he had 6 teeth.
Then all hell broke loose and he got no less than 10 teeth in the next 3 months and he had 16 before his second birthday! It was hard going as he was not very happy and very dribbly...
His back molars came through some time between 2 and 3 but they were not a problem ... especially as he was able to say that his mouth hurt and I was able to see them coming through (as opposed to the unexplained crying and temperatures that went with earlier teething!)
Don't read the books ... on this particular subject as there is obviously no definitive age!