Question
A nine and a half month-old male baby, who has been in good health until now, has not yet started teething. He has not received any related treatment and is inquiring whether a check-up for trace elements is necessary.
Answer
A late teething in babies may be related to genetics; if one parent had late teeth, the baby might also teethe later. If the baby’s gums are thick, it may also affect the eruption of milk teeth. The timing of teething is not significantly related to nutrition. It is recommended to use teething rings and encourage the baby to chew more to promote teething. Since calcium in the blood only accounts for 1% of the body’s total, and when the body is deficient in calcium, it automatically releases calcium from the bones into the blood, it is possible to be deficient in calcium even if the blood calcium level is close to the lowest standard. It is advisable to supplement 100 milligrams of calcium daily. For this issue, there is no need to worry excessively.