Teething and Other Teeth-Related Problems
Some children get their first teeth at four months, but as a general rule, the
first teeth come in at about six to eight months. Some babies may not get
teeth until later. Do not worry about this. All babies are different and develop
at different rates. If you are eating well and feeding your baby quality foods,
she will probably not have much trouble when her teeth do come in. It is only
when the diet is out of balance-creating an overly yin or yang condition in the
baby-that teething problems arise.
If the baby wants something to chew on, she can be given a large piece or
section of raw carrot. Make sure that it is big enough to hold on to and too
large to choke on. When you give your baby a piece of raw carrot, be certain
to supervise closely to make sure that none of it is bitten off. You can also
purchase high-quality wooden rattles for babies to chew on. In addition, you
can make hard teething biscuits with whole wheat pastry flour. Shape the
dough into thick cookies with interesting shapes. Bake them in a slow oven
until they are very hard and do not break. Do not use salt or oil when making
them. You can also massage your baby's gums occasionally with your finger or
let her chew on your finger.
When the permanent teeth begin to come in, be very careful to offer children a
well-balanced diet to help them keep their teeth in good condition. Cavities
can be caused by over consumption of extreme foods: sweets such as grain
candy, cookies, juice, and concentrated sweeteners, which are excessive yin,
or salty foods or condiments, which are excessive yang. Be careful not to give
children too many of these items.
When teeth protrude outward, the cause is too much yin (fruit, juice,
concentrated sweeteners, etc.), while teeth that point inward are caused by
more yang types of foods, especially fish and salty dishes or condiments. Gray
spots on the teeth are caused by too much salt. Discolored teeth can be
caused by either extreme. Soft teeth are often caused by a lack of minerals or
by the intake of too much yin food.
It is much easier to prevent problems with the teeth by giving children a
naturally balanced diet than it is to correct the problems once they have
developed.