14 answers

Gums Have Been Swollen in My 10 Month Old for over a Month, Probably 2

My little guy just turned 10 mos yesterday, he has 8 teeth already and has been getting teeth consistantly since he was 4 1/2 mos old. About 2 months ago I noticed his cuspid area on the bottom was swollen a little and red. I assumed the cuspids were coming. But they never came. I then learned that the 1st molars come in before cuspids, typically. The swelling then moved to the molar area. And the way it swelled was werid. The gums swelled on the outside (cheek and tongue side, not the top) so it looks like there is a gumball under his gums. I know it is probably the molar trying to come up that is causing the gums to swell like this, but my main question is shouldn't they have come thru by now? I know most baby books say this tooth comes in at 12 months, but he has been very early with all his teeth. Im concerned it is having a hard time coming in. My ped. is a really lax guy and isn't concerned. My son doesn't seem to be in pain but he does really chew on his fingers or whatever he can back there. My twins got all their teeth really really late, and I never saw this with them. In fact I think their teeth came in really quickly once they started to push up. The other reason I am a bit concerned is because I remember I had to have my gum cut open to let my permanent central incisor (front tooth) come in. I lost my baby tooth in the front and the grown up tooth just never came down. My dentist slit it open and that day my big front tooth started coming thru the slit. Weird I know. Has anyone else experienced this with your infant? What did you do, leave it or push your pediatrician. Thanks for your help and advice!

What can I do next?

So What Happened?™

Thank you ladies, it was good to hear that this is probably normal for a molar. But I have made an appt. with the dentist just to be sure. The appt. isnt for 2 weeks, so perhaps they will finally cut thru before then. Thanks again!

Featured Answers

You should take him to a pediactric dentist. Chances are things will be okay, but given that you had similar circumstances as a child I think it would give you peace of mind to have his mouth looked at by a "mouth specialist". Pediatricians are great but ... come on ... could they know more than a ped dentist?

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More Answers

I have a 10 monther too . They are so fun right now ! As son as my son got his first teeth I took him to the dentist , per AAoP guidlines. Why not take him to the dentist and see what it is and make sure everything's descending as it should be.

Sometimes gum swelling ( all gums swollen) is a sign of vitamin deficiency. The dentist would be able to identify that as well. Usually a dentist visit before age 1 is free ( at least most dentists here in Vegas offer that )

Good luck
J.

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Take him 2 the dentist. Check the yellow pages for specialty in toddlers. My youngest had all kinds of problems with her teeth and it was due to medication for her asthma and narcalpsy. She was 2yrs old and all her front teeth were capped. I took her 2 a Dentist in Lakewood, Calif. They specialized in young children. Western Dental is also another to work well with children.

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You should take him to a pediactric dentist. Chances are things will be okay, but given that you had similar circumstances as a child I think it would give you peace of mind to have his mouth looked at by a "mouth specialist". Pediatricians are great but ... come on ... could they know more than a ped dentist?

1 mom found this helpful

A.,

My daughter is 14 months old and only has 5 teeth. Her gums sometimes swell for about a good 2 weeks to a month before a tooth cuts. When a molar cuts it's sometimes longer and YES it looks like a big lump under the gum when a molar cuts. My son had big lumps under the gum until the molars poked out. I would give it some more time. My daughter is still working on a tooth in front and it's been swollen for 3 weeks now. I would just be thankful that it's not bothering him and he's not in pain! Good luck.

L.

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Hello. I can understand your concern, as a mom myself. As a holistic practitioner, I can tell you that SO many people, especially infants are deficient in minerals. So, a simple fix could be to add about 1/8 tsp of Coral Legend from PRLabs to your baby's milk/diet. In a couple of days you'll notice the swelling go down. Our society and food supply is deficient in minerals, which are important for fighting infection...which there is a possibility if your child is deficient that he also may have infection. So, start with the minerals, or check his pH and see if it's acidic or alkaline and then you will know for sure. For more specifics on how we can do some non-invasive QRA testing on your child and help him to have superb health, please visit our website at www.CreativeNutrition.com . We are located in S. Redondo Beach and work with many children and their pleased parents.

good luck!

Namaste,
J. Eltman, MPH, RD
Preventive & Therapeutic Holistic Health
www.CreativeNutrition.com
1.877.5.EATWELL
Author: The NO DIET Diet: Healthy Meals in 5 Minutes

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I would contact your dentist.

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Hi A.,

I'd take him to the ped. It's probably okay but just to rule out a problem.

V.

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Hi my baby who is 2 1/2 was very early with all of her teeth. She also had similar difficulties and discomfort. Her pediatrician also was not very interested in the day-to-days of her teeth developement. I realize now that the teeth eruptions will happen in their own time and it is not uncommon for eruptions to start and then subside for a while. I wouldn't be concerned about the gumball (swelling). You bring up a good illustration about the incision your DDS had to make to help the permanent tooth erupt. Can you imagine having to have that done with a 10 month old? It would require Gen. Anesth. That's why it isn't done. Be patient, I'm sure things will work themselves out. Maybe call your own DDS, I'm sure he/she will reassure you of the same thing. Pediatricians hands are tied when it comes to teeth. They can only make the determination to refer to a pediadontist when it is severe and absolutely necessary because of the cooperation factor. Methods used to sedate/anesth or even take an xray are all too risky unless it is absolutely necessary.

About me: I'm 36 stay-at-home mom with my first and last 2 1/2 y.o. beautiful baby girl. Currently learning accounting for my husbands new contruction business. (Hard to find time!)Before this I worked for 15 years in dental field admin.

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