Teeth Eruption In Babies – Common Problems, Ayurvedic Remedies

By – Dr Renita D’Souza

Kashyapa Samhitha is the ancient treatise which mainly describes child development, maternal and child health, disease and its treatment. This ancient paediatric book considers teeth health as one of the factor that determines the health and life span of a person. Lets explore these factors and know the right timings of teeth eruption, symptoms before its eruption and its treatment.
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Table of Contents

Introduction

In modern terms, teeth eruption occurs in 2 forms – primary dentition and secondary dentition.
Primary dentition – teeth erupted are called milk teeth. These are first teeth to erupt. These teeth are exfoliated at certain age as the new permanent teeth erupt. Primary dentition completes at around the age of two and half years.
Secondary dentition – These are permanent teeth that replace milk teeth. They are comprised of 32 teeth.
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According to Master Kashyapa there are total 32 teeth.
– 8 teeth are called Sakrjaatha – erupts only once (permanent teeth)
– 24 teeth are called dwija – erupts twice (milk teeth)

Samprapti of teeth eruption

Reference – Ashtanga Sangraha Uttara Sthana 2/15

Teeth eruption takes place mainly from two tissues, bone tissue and bone marrow. After few months these teeth fall off as they lack complete strength and later eruption of new teeth occurs. In old age eruption of new teeth will not occur due to inadequacy of bone tissue and bone marrow (majja Dhatu).
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Bone tissue and bone marrow undergoes ripening and localizes in gums. Due to this it causes slight swelling in gums, horripilation of the body due to rubbing of upper and lower gums, itching in the gums due to presence of kapha dosha and child bites the nipples of mother. When the child gets devoid of food, aggravated vata gets localised in roots of the teeth, accompanied by kapha it gets localized in bone tissue and bone marrow, move in the whole body along with pitta dosha, imbalances other dhatus (tissues) and mala (waste materials) to cause different secondary diseases.
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Ideal Teeth features

Reference – Kashyapa Samhitha Sutra Sthana 20/8

Ashtame masi – Teeth erupted in the eighth month
Sarvaguna sampanna – Possess all quality
Purnatha – developed completely
Samatha – evenness
Ghanatha – compactness
Shuklatha – white
Snigdhatha – unctuous
Shlaksnatha – smooth
Nirmalatha – clean
Niramayatha – not afflicted by any disease
Kinchith utharunnatha – slight elevation of upper row
Samatha danthabhandhana – set in proper alignment

Appearance of normal Gums

Rakthatha – red
Snigdhatha – unctuous
Brihath – appear large
Ghana – compact
Sthira – stable

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Unhealthy teeth eruption

Aprashatha Dantha – Unhealthy teeth eruption
Reference – Kashyapa Samhitha Sutra Sthana 20/6

Usually teeth eruption occurs 4th month onwards but in some cases the teeth eruption occurs before birth and child is born with teeth.
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Sadanthajanma – teeth erupted before birth (natal teeth)
Poorvamuttara dantajanma – first eruption of upper teeth
Virala dantajanma – scattered teeth
Heena dantha – less number of teeth
Adhika dantata – more number of teeth
Karaala dantata – terrible teeth like wide gaping and projecting teeth
Vivarna dantata – discoloured teeth
Sphutita dantata- cracked teeth

K.S.Su 20/8

Hina – less number of teeth
Ulbana – more number of teeth
Sitha – excess white colour
Asitha – blackish Apravibaktha dantabandhana – eruption of two teeth in one socket

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Timing of teeth eruption

Ideal time for teeth eruption is at eighth month. Teeth erupted during this month possess best qualities. Timings of tooth eruption can vary in male and female child.

Male and felame tooth

Female child tooth eruption

Female child show early and easy tooth eruption. This is because of porous (sushira) and soft (mrudu) teeth in female child.

Tooth eruption in male child

Tooth eruption in male child occurs late and with difficulty when compared to female child because of compactness (ghana) and stable (sthira) teeth in male child.

For how many months it requires for teeth origination, it takes so many days to erupt the teeth. Example, if teeth eruption occurs in 5th month, then it takes 5 days for teeth eruption. Similarly for many months it takes for teeth eruption, it takes so many years for its fall and reappearance. Example, if teeth eruption occurred at 6th month, then it falls and erupts again after 6 years.
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Eruption in different months

Teeth erupted at 4th month

Durbala – weak
Ashu kshahina – decay early
Amaya bahula – afflicted with many diseases

Teeth erupted in 5th month

Syandana – Teeth will be moving (syandana). Teeth will not be fixed firmly in its socket or due to early decaying, it starts shaking.
Praharsha – high sensitivity of teeth
Aamaya bahula – afflicted with diseases

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Teeth erupted in 6th month

Prathipa – inverted
Malagrahina – food particles get stuck in between teeth
Vivarna – discoloration of teeth
Ghuna – low-quality teeth which are susceptible for dental carries.

Teeth erupted in 7th month

Dwiputah – tooth will have two sockets
Sphotinascha – teeth will have cracks or split tooth
Raajemantha – teeth will have stripes on it
Khanda – broken teeth
Ruksha – dry teeth
Vishama – alignment of teeth will be irregular
Unnatha – teeth will be protuberant

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Types of teeth according to Master Kashyapa

Raajadantam (central incisors) – 4
Bastadantam (lateral incisors) – 4
Damshtraadantam (canines) – 4
Swarudhadantam (premolars) – 8
Haanavyadantam (molars) – 12

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Types of dentition
Reference – Kashyapa Samhitha Sutra 20/7

Saamudgam – impacted, misaligned, obstructed growth due to which the teeth falls off easily ‘Saamudgam shahi’.
Samvritam – inverted, bent inwards or converged hence considered inauspicious as it does not look goo. The food particles get stuck in between and cleaning is difficult. ‘Samvritamadhanyam malishta’
Vivritam – protruding out with wide gaping. Such teeth easily gets damaged and falls off early. Because of gaps between teeth, the saliva spits out. When the person is sleeping, because of protruded teeth he keeps his mouth open and saliva flows out. This is explained with the term laalopahatha. The concealed teeth get easily discoloured and afflicted with disease due to impacted food particles. ‘Vivritam vitamnithyalaalopahatham sanchanadanthathvath aashudanta vaivarnyakaramasannaabadhamithi’
Danta sampat – Ideal dentition

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Affecting factors

Factors affecting teething, eruption and qualities

Gender – female child show early eruption than a male child
Jati vishesha – race specific
Swabhavam – naturally based on body type
Mathapittra anukaranam – hereditary
Swakarma vishesha – based on a person’s habits

Prodromal symptoms of tooth eruption

These symptoms are seen before eruption of teeth.

excess salivation
swelling and pain in the gums
baby develops tendency to bite every objects

Symptoms during teeth eruption

Jwara – Fever
Chardi – Vomiting
Vidbhedha – Diarrhoea
Kasa – Cough
Shiroruja – Headache
Abhishyandha – conjunctivitis
Pothaki, Kukunaka (A.S) – painful eye disease with eruptions
Visarpa – herpes
Vertigo (Ashtanga Sangraha)

Treatment of symptoms teething

Reference – Ashtanga Hridaya Uttara Stana 2/ 29, 43, Kashyapa Samhitha 20

Heavy treatment is not needed for symptoms originated during tooth eruption.
These symptoms are usually self-limiting. After tooth eruption most of the diseases originated during teeth eruption are subsided by itself without treatment.
If the disease is aggressive and does not get subsided after tooth eruption then treatment with utmost care should be given after analyzing – dosha predominance, type and stage of disease, the age of child, place, time etc
Correcting the diet and maintaining digestive power in normal itself will help subsiding the disease of teeth eruption.
Gums should be massaged either with powder of long pepper or Dhaataki flowers or gooseberry mixed with honey. (A.S.U. 2/22)
During teeth eruption the diet of child should not be given in more quantity but can reduce the normal quantity of diet and the reduced quantity of diet should be replaced with pure water.
Care should be taken so the child does not get constipation. Hence mild water infusions of herbs like raisins should be administered.
Child should be given some hard eatable to chew so it helps the jaws develop completely.
Ghrithapana – Vachaadi or samangaadi ghee is used specially to relieve diseases occurred during teeth eruption. (A.H.U 2/41-42)
Powder of dried meat of laava, tittiri, vallura types of birds improve the appearance of teeth in children. (A.S.U.2/22)
Symptomatic treatment should be given.

Research

1 . A study done based on the process of eruption of primary dentition has concluded that eruption of primary dentition is often accompanied by redness, but not swelling of the gingival tissues. (A).

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