What’s the obsession with teeth?!

[meanstreak60]

My 8.5 month old doesn’t have teeth and isn’t showing any signs of getting them any time soon. I couldn’t care less, she’ll get teeth when she gets teeth. But without fail her grandparents message almost weekly “Any teeth yet?!?!!!!” I usually reply with “no but she’s standing and crawling and doing x y z” this morning I get another message “teeth?!?” So my partner sent them an edited photo of her to include a full set of adult teeth. They didn’t reply.

 

[bucknut200232]

@meanstreak60 Hahahaha! I think that’s their way of making conversation. It’s been a while for them since they’ve had kids. Sending the photo with a full set of teeth is hilarious!

 

[memneso]

@bucknut200232 This. My parents keep asking variations of "is she left or right handed yet". I've just put it down to them not sure about what milestones are next and wanting to be included somehow.

 

[kaylaw94]

@bucknut200232 Don't forget that some grandparents don't have teeth themselves. Preempt the early morning texts by asking for their teeth are.

 

[noel25]

@bucknut200232 When I went into labour people kept texting "any baby yet?" so I sent them a photo of a 1 year old that was clearly a different race to me or the father, "born a minute ago"

 

[beaub]

@meanstreak60 My parents in law are obsessed! Baby drools? Must be teeth! Baby chewing fingers? That's teeth! Baby crying a bit? Teeth! It's been like this since he was 6 weeks old!

My father in law said "oh it can take months for teeth to come up" which means he's covered with an I-told-you-so when the baby finally does get teeth. Like technically the baby is born teething according to him, because teeth are always on the way! He's not wrong but there's like passive teething, where at some point in the future teeth will come up, and active teething, where it's affecting the baby's mood and well-being.

 

[naturefanatic79]

@beaub My husband is like this too ugh. She whinged at the dinner table? Must be teething. She woke up twice instead of her usual once? Definitely teething. When she was little it was hunger, as she grew it's now teething. She can't just be annoyed for a second for no reason haha

 

[godisable7]

@beaub My mom does the same thing!! My baby is almost 4 months and found her hands a month ago and loves chewing on them (and ours too when she gets a chance). I come home from work every week and my mom says she must be teething and in pain. She can’t believe she’s just a drooly baby who loves tiny fingers lol so annoying!

 

[sgtmattkind]

@beaub This is my MIL exactly!!

 

[dmarks]

@meanstreak60 Must make breast feeding a dream if you feed your baby that way.

Totally OT, but my grandfather only ever had one set of teeth in his life. I never found out which set though.

 

[maroon]

@dmarks My 8 month old has no teeth, no signs of teeth, and I EBF. I think about this all the time! She'll get then eventually, for now it's pretty great.

 

[naturefanatic79]

@dmarks One of my friends was just missing 4 of her adult teeth. The baby teeth just didn't fall out with the rest lol.

 

[ifonly4aneternity]

@naturefanatic79 Yup! My mom had 3 baby teeth until recently when they pulled them to make more room in her mouth because she got braces! I guess it’s pretty common.

 

[thehunted]

@meanstreak60 Are they dentists?

 

[meanstreak60]

@thehunted Nah, just big fans of the ol’ chompers!

 

[nwajesus]

@meanstreak60 They want to know if you’ve returned to suffering yet lol

Teeth coming in = sleep regression, drool rash, mushy poo (from swallowing drool), and general fussiness.

On the plus side you’re in ibuprofen territory which is safe for babies 6 month+ when it does eventually happen, and I find that more effective than Tylenol since it specifically reduces inflammation

 

[evergold]

@meanstreak60 I have no kids yet and know nothing about kids teeth but to me having to start cleaning them later sounds like a bonus

 

[camillanorigera]

@meanstreak60 Well, my first two managed to get their molars around nine months, which made feeding them table food so easy.

My third child has only just got her upper and lower incisors at ten months, and today she was rather proud to be able to demolish some apple and some cucumber.