When do babies get their first tooth? Discover the typical timeline for baby’s first tooth eruption, teething schedules, and how to care for your little one’s emerging pearly whites.

Baby’s First Tooth: When to Expect the Milestone

The first tooth to erupt is typically the lower central incisor (aka the bottom front tooth), and it generally appears around the age of 6 to 10 months. While this is the average timeline, it’s important to note that every baby is different, and the timing can vary. Some babies may get their first tooth as early as 3 months, while others may not see their first tooth until after their first birthday.

The Teething Timeline: What to Expect

Teething can be a challenging time for both babies and their parents, but understanding the teething timeline can help manage expectations. Teething is a gradual process that can last as long as it takes for all 20 of a baby’s primary teeth to emerge, which is typically by the age of 2 or 3.

While some babies may show significant discomfort during the teething process, others may sail through it with minimal fuss. The front teeth and first molars tend to be the most troublesome, but the experience can vary greatly from child to child.

Teething Schedule: A Timeline of Baby’s Tooth Eruption

Here’s a typical timeline of when to expect baby’s teeth to emerge:

Baby’s Upper Teeth Schedule

• Between 8 and 12 months: Central incisor erupts (lost between ages 6 and 7)
• Between 9 and 13 months: Lateral incisor erupts (lost between ages 7 and 8)
• Between 16 and 22 months: Canine (cuspid) erupts (lost between ages 10 and 12)
• Between 13 and 19 months: First molar erupts (lost between ages 9 and 11)
• Between 25 and 33 months: Second molar erupts (lost between ages 10 and 12)

Baby’s Lower Teeth Schedule

• Between 6 and 10 months: Central incisor erupts (lost between ages 6 and 7)
• Between 14 and 18 months: First molar erupts (lost between ages 9 and 11)
• Between 17 and 23 months: Canine (cuspid) erupts (lost between ages 9 and 12)

Permanent Teeth: The Next Step

As your child grows, their baby teeth will begin to fall out, and the permanent teeth will start to emerge. The timeline for the eruption of permanent teeth is as follows:

Permanent Upper Teeth Schedule

• First molar erupts between ages 6 and 7
• Central incisor erupts between ages 7 and 8
• Lateral incisor erupts between ages 8 and 9
• First premolar (first bicuspid) erupts between ages 10 and 11
• Second premolar (second bicuspid) erupts between ages 10 and 12
• Canine (cuspid) erupts between ages 11 and 12
• Second molar erupts between ages 12 and 13
• Third molars (wisdom teeth) erupt between ages 17 and 21

Permanent Lower Teeth Schedule

• First molar erupts between 6 and 7 years
• Central incisors erupt between 6 and 7 years
• Lateral incisors erupt between 7 and 8 years
• Canine (cuspid) erupts between 9 and 10 years
• First premolar (first bicuspid) erupts between 10 and 12 years
• Second premolar (second bicuspid) erupts between 11 and 12 years
• Second molar erupts between 11 and 13 years
• Third molar (wisdom tooth) erupts between 17 and 21 years

Caring for Baby’s New Teeth

As soon as the first tooth appears, it’s important to start establishing good dental hygiene habits. This includes:

• Avoiding frozen gel packs, amber beads, or anything with belladonna or benzocaine numbing agents, as the FDA has issued warnings against their use.
• Offering your child a frozen washcloth or food-grade baby mesh bag that can safely hold ice chips or frozen fruit to gnaw on.
• Considering using a fluoride supplement by 6 months of age to help harden enamel and prevent tooth decay, if your tap water doesn’t contain fluoride (talk to your pediatrician).
• Beginning to brush Baby’s teeth twice a day with a grain-of-rice amount of fluoride toothpaste.

By establishing good dental habits early on, you can help ensure your child’s teeth and gums stay healthy as they grow.

Teething Chart: A Visual Guide

For a quick reference, here’s a visual teething chart that outlines the typical timeline for when baby teeth and permanent teeth will erupt:

[Insert teething chart image]

Remember, every baby is different, and the timing of tooth eruption can vary. If you have any concerns about your child’s teething or dental health, be sure to consult with your pediatrician or pediatric dentist.

When Do Babies Get Their First Tooth – Happiest Baby

By
Happiest Baby Staff

On This Page

• When to Expect the First Tooth
• How Long Teething Lasts
• Teething Schedule
• Teething Chart
• How to Care for Baby’s Teeth

Baby’s first tooth is a milestone that many parents look forward to because that toothy grin is just so darn sweet…even if the realities of teething are decidedly not. If you’ve got an upset baby on your hands because a new tooth is about to erupt from that tender pink gum line, don’t worry, relief is in sight. Here’s everything you need to know about your baby’s teething schedule.

When do babies get their first tooth?

The first tooth to erupt is typically the lower central incisor (aka bottom front tooth) and it generally appears around the age of 6 to 10 months.

How long does teething last?

We know, teething feels never-ending when you’re in it. The bad news is that teething will last as long as it takes for all of their baby teeth to emerge. The good news? Not all teeth will cause Baby to fuss. Some kids show signs of upset as their front teeth and first molars come in and some don’t.

To alleviate teething pain, give your child a frozen washcloth to chew on (try dipping a corner in apple juice and then freezing that!) or a mesh bag with ice chips that they can suck on without risk of choking. If you breastfeed, you may notice that your baby wants to nurse more than usual, as nursing may be comforting.

Teething Schedule

Kids will eventually get two sets of teeth. The first set are called baby teeth or milk teeth and they begin to appear in the first year of life and will begin to fall out around the age of 6 or 7. The second set of teeth are called permanent teeth and they will slowly replace the baby teeth as those fall out.

Over time, your little one will rack up 20 pearly whites. Kiddos don’t sprout quite as many baby teeth as adult teeth, which begin to erupt around the age of 6 or 7 and will eventually—typically by the age of 21—total 32 permanent teeth. Here’s a typical timeline of when to expect teeth:

Baby’s Upper Teeth Schedule

• Between 8 and 12 months central incisor erupts (lost between ages 6 and 7)
• Between 9 and 13 months lateral incisor erupts (lost between ages 7 and 8)
• Between 16 and 22 months canine (cuspid) erupts (lost between ages 10 and 12)
• Between 13 and 19 months first molar erupts (lost between ages 9 and 11)
• Between 25 and 33 months second molar erupts (lost between ages 10 and 12)

Baby’s Lower Teeth Schedule

• Between 6 and 10 months central incisor erupts (lost between ages 6 and 7)

• Between 14 and 18 months first molar erupts (lost between ages 9 and 11)

• Between 17 and 23 months canine (cuspid) erupts (lost between ages 9 and 12)

Permanent Upper Teeth Schedule

• First molar erupts between ages 6 and 7 
• Central incisor erupts between ages 7 and 8
• Lateral incisor erupts between ages 8 and 9 
• First premolar (first bicuspid) between ages 10 and 11 
• Second premolar (second bicuspid) between ages 10 and 12
• Canine cuspid erupts between ages 11 and 12 
• Second molar erupts between ages 12 and 13
• Third molars (wisdom teeth) erupt between ages 17 and 21

Permanent Lower Teeth Schedule

• First molar erupts between 6 and 7 years
• Central incisors erupt between 6 and 7 years
• Lateral incisors erupt between 7 and 8 years
• Canine (cuspid) erupts between 9 and 10 years
• First premolar (first bicuspid) erupts between 10 and 12 years
• Second premolar (second bicuspid) erupts between 11 and 12 years
• Second molar erupts between 11 and 13 years
• Third molar (wisdom tooth) erupts between 17 and 21 years

Teething Chart

Here’s a visual for a typical baby’s teething schedule:

How to Care for Your Baby’s New Teeth

There are a few healthy habits that parents begin as soon as the first sign of teething appears. The sooner parents start good, healthy dental hygiene, the better off Baby’s teeth will be. Here are some general tips to keep in mind.

Avoid giving babies frozen gel packs, amber beads, or anything that has belladonna or benzocaine numbing agents in them as the FDA has issued warnings against their use.

Offer your child a frozen washcloth or food-grade baby mesh bag that can safely hold ice chips or frozen fruit to gnaw on.

Consider using a fluoride supplement by 6 months of age to help harden enamel and prevent tooth decay…if your tap water doesn’t contain fluoride. (Talk to your pediatrician about whether your baby needs fluoride supplements.)

Begin brushing Baby’s teeth twice a day with a grain-of-rice amount fluoride toothpaste on a baby toothbrush as soon as their first tooth appears. By age 3 most kids can use a pea-sized squeeze…and they should start to rinse and spit since fluoride at this amount is not healthy to ingest.

Ask your pediatrician about applying fluoride varnish to your baby’s growing teeth. This will help to prevent cavities.

Book a dentist appointment as soon as the first tooth appears and start talking to your dentist about healthy dental hygiene.

More on Baby’s Smile and Teething:

• How to Keep Little Smiles Healthy
• When Do Babies Smile?
• Ease Teething Pain Quickly
• Help Babies Sleep Through Teething, Growth Spurts, and More

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health & safety

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help! Connect with us at [email protected].

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or
condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or
yourself, please contact your health provider.

Teething – Baby Care Advice

“Teething” is often blamed for babies’ broken sleep, crying, fever and diarrhea.  But is it the really the cause? Learn what to expect when a baby is teething, the order of tooth presentation, how to relieve any discomfort, and how to care for your baby’s teeth.

What is teething?

Teething refers to time the tooth is breaking through the skin. During this time your baby’s gums may become red, shiny and swollen. If you touch your baby’s gums with your finger you can feel the hard point of the tooth underneath.

When do teeth appear? 

Your child’s ‘baby teeth’ (also known as ‘milk teeth’) have already formed in his gums by the time of his birth. On average, the first tooth generally appears  around the age of 6 months; however, this can vary. Apart from the unusual occurrence where a baby can be born with teeth, the first tooth rarely emerges before the age of 3.5 months and for some babies a tooth may not appear until 15 months.

By 12 months babies usually have 4 to 8 teeth. By 18 months 12 teeth and by 3 years all 20 baby teeth will generally be in place. Baby teeth will be lost between the ages of 6 and 12 years to make way for permanent teeth (also called adult teeth).

Order of appearance

Teeth generally appear in a certain order. They also tend to make their appearance in pairs (usually one soon after the other), with the lower pair generally arriving before the upper pair.

The order of appearance generally follows this pattern…

• 4 central incisors – arrive around 6 – 8 months
• 4 lateral incisors – arrive around 7 – 10 months
• 4 first molars – arrive around 12 – 16 months
• 4 cuspids (eye teeth) – arrive around 15 to 20 months
• 4 two-year molars   – arrive somewhere between 2 to 3 years

All 20 teeth will be in place between 2 and 3 years of age.

Signs

Some babies show no signs of discomfort while teething and others may appear to be bothered by each one of their 20 baby teeth as they come through. Apart from being able to see or feel the tooth, it’s possible that all other symptoms commonly thought to be signs of teething could be due to other reasons. 

• Red swollen gums or a visible bump in the gums (are the only reliable signs).
• Pain or discomfort in the mouth.
• Irritable or clingy behavior.
• Pulling ears.
• Wakefulness.
• Slightly raised temperature (a fever is not a sign of teething).
• Flushed cheeks.
• Drooling/dribbling.
• Chewing or biting.
• Coughing due to excessive saliva.
• Chin or facial rashes.
• Loss of appetite.
• Feeding difficulties.

How long do symptoms last?

Symptoms are generally minor and relatively infrequent; discomfort due to the tooth breaking through the skin will usually last for less than a couple of days (occasionally a little longer if multiple teeth are breaking through at the same time).  

If symptoms continue past 3 days without a tooth in sight, there is likely to be other reasons for your baby’s discomfort or distress.

When it’s NOT teething 

Epstein Pearls

Whitish pearly-appearing bumps (technically cysts) will appear in the roof of the mouth and gums of 80% of babies during the early months of life. They sometimes resemble emerging teeth.  They are quite harmless and will disappear

Normal developmental changes

Like many other parents, you may become concerned about teething when your baby is around 3 months old. This is the age when a baby’s salivary glands are increasing production.  However at 3 months your baby is not mature enough to move the saliva to the back of his mouth and swallow it (which occurs around 15 months), hence the saliva simply flows out of his mouth.

Babies are in an oral stage of development and find it comforting to suck or chew on any object they can get into their mouth. By around the age 3 months your baby has developed enough control over his arm movements to be able to place his fingers and hand in his mouth at will (or guide objects to his mouth).  Prior to gaining this control, sucking on his hands in the past has been a ‘hit or miss’ process. What can appear like more ‘chewing’ at this time is  a normal developmental response appropriate for this age. 

Illness

Many people believe teething can cause fever and diarrhea; however, this has not been proven. Many symptoms thought to be caused by teething may actually be caused by illness. The important thing is not to use teething to explain away what might be signs of illness.

Teething – myth or fact? 

1. Drooling and chewing on things are sure signs of teething.

FALSE:  Although drooling and chewing on hands or objects may be more obvious when your baby is teething, these signs can also be due to normal developmental changes (see above). The only sure sign of teething is when you can see or feel the emerging teeth. 

2. Teeth can move up and down in the gums.

FALSE:  Your baby’s permanent teeth are forming below his baby teeth, as they develop they slowly push the baby teeth to the surface. There’s no room for his baby teeth to move back down again. However, once a tooth has broken through to the surface it’s possible for the skin to cover the tooth again temporarily, which may make it appear like the tooth has moved backwards.

3. Extended periods of discomfort are due to the teeth moving in the gums towards the surface.

FALSE:  Even before birth, all baby teeth are formed in your baby’s gums and are already slowly progressing toward the surface. If the movement of teeth as they gradually progress to the surface was painful, then the pain would be constant because all teeth (baby and permanent) are forming and/or gradually progressing towards the surface at the same time (some simply arrive sooner).

4. Teething pain can last for weeks or months before a tooth finally appears.

FALSE:  Teething only causes discomfort around the time your baby’s tooth is ready to break through his gum. Teething discomfort generally lasts for only a couple of days. (Many babies experience no discomfort from teething). Long periods of irritability, which are commonly blamed on teething, are generally due to other reasons.  

5.  Teething causes fever.

FALSE:  An elevated temperature is due to an infection somewhere in your baby’s body. Although your baby’s gum may become red and swollen when a tooth is ready to break through to the surface, this is due to pressure against his gum from the tooth as it’s ready to emerge and not due to an infection. 

6. Teething cause diarrhea.

FALSE:  Many people claim diarrhea is a sign of teething, contributing this to swallowing excessive amounts of saliva. Because a child’s stomach contains a mild hydrochloric acid, the amount of saliva swallowed is unlikely to make any great difference. However, loose bowel movements at the time of teething could be explained as a result of a tummy upset due to the fact that a teething child bites and chews on just about anything they can get into their mouth… clean or not so clean. 

7. It’s safe to use painkillers and teething gels.

TRUE & FALSE: It can be, but only under advice of a doctor. All medication (including natural therapies) can cause side effects, some of which may be potentially harmful. Prolonged use of pain relieving medications is no recommended except under the advice of a doctor.

8. Teething causes a child to wake at night.

TRUE: Although, it’s true that teething discomfort may increase wakefulness, prolonged periods of wakefulness (more than a couple of nights) are often due to reasons other than teething.

Teething discomfort does not appear only at night. If your baby does not appear to be troubled by teething discomfort during the day, it’s unlikely that night time wakefulness is due to teething. 

9. A baby can be irritable for weeks because of teething.

FALSE:  Teething is the most commonly blamed condition for unexplained irritability in babies over the age of 3 months (colic is blamed before that age). When a tooth is about to break through the surface of the gum this can cause your baby to feel uncomfortable. However, irritability lasting more than a few days without the emergence of a tooth is likely to be due to reasons other than teething.

What you can do to help

To help reduce the pain associated with teething the following measure may be helpful. 

• Gently, but firmly, massage or press on your baby’s gum with a clean finger or soft cloth.  If this obviously upsets your baby don’t continue.
• Give your baby something cold to suck or chew on. You can buy plastic teething rings which you can cool in the refrigerator. Some babies find it great to chew on a face washer that has be moistened and cooled in the freezer for a few hours.
• Regularly clean teething rings, toys or anything else that your baby chews on, to prevent the growth of germs.
• Prevent skin rashes on the face by washing away saliva with a warm, clean face washer and applying protective ointment.
• A teething rusk is good to chew on, but be careful pieces don’t break off.

Teething aids such as teething gels or pain killers should only be used if advised by your doctor.

Keeping your baby’s teeth healthy 

DO

• Start cleaning your baby’s teeth twice a day, as soon as teeth appear. Use a clean cloth to wipe over your baby’s teeth.
• As more teeth develop you can use a soft toothbrush. (Until around the age of 8 years a child lacks the coordination to adequately clean their own teeth. Parents need to assist their child with brushing teeth until that time).
• Begin using low-fluoride toothpaste (made for children) at around 2 years. Only a smear of toothpaste (as big as a pea or less) should be used. Encourage your child to not eat or swallow toothpaste after brushing, teach him how to spit it out.
• Keep toothpaste tubes out or reach of children.
• Take your child to the dentist twice a year.

DON’T

• Don’t put your baby’s pacifier in your own mouth then give it back to him, as you will transfer bacteria which cause dental decay from your mouth to his.
• Don’t dip a pacifier or teething rings in honey or other sweet foods, as this may lead to dental decay. (Honey is not recommended for babies under 12 months due to the risk of botulism, a serious gastro-intestinal infection).
• Don’t give your baby or young child a bottle of milk, formula or fruit juice to suck on after a feed, or to go to sleep with. The sugar in milk and fruit juice can lead to tooth decay if it remains in your baby’s mouth for a long time.
• Don’t use lemon juice on his gums once teeth come into his mouth, because lemon juice has a lot of acid and can damage the tooth enamel.
• Don’t use toothpaste until 2 years of age (at an age where he can be taught to spit it out).

When to see a doctor

Teething may cause your baby to be mildly ‘off-color’ but it doesn’t cause serious illness. Take your child to the doctor if teething troubles last longer than 3 days or sooner if your baby has…

• A fever.
• Diarrhea; or
• Is not drinking enough fluids.

Written by Rowena Bennett.

© Copyright www.babycareadvice.com 2020. All rights reserved. Permission from author must be obtained to copy or reproduce any part of this article. 

The child is teething: what to do?

The eruption of milk teeth is a long and often painful process. It begins at about 6-7 months with the first lower incisors, and ends with fangs by 2-3 years. The appearance of each tooth is accompanied, as a rule, by painful sensations that bring suffering to both the baby and his parents. Eruption of the gums takes from several days to a week. How can you help your child during this difficult time?

How to understand that a child is cutting a tooth: signs

• The gums are red and swollen.
• Increases body temperature – sometimes up to 38 ° C and above.
• Increased salivation is observed – the baby puts everything in his mouth, often asks for a breast or a bottle to get rid of itchy gums.
• Digestive disorders, diarrhea appear, appetite worsens.
• Against the background of a weakened immune system, infectious diseases are possible, primarily a runny nose.
• There is pain in the nose and ears – the child constantly touches them.
• Redness of the cheeks.
• The baby becomes nervous, sleeps badly, often screams – his usual behavior changes.

How to help your child

If the child’s temperature rises above 38 °C, it must be brought down with the help of special means that are appropriate for the child’s age. What other drugs can be used, it is better to ask the pediatrician: he will recommend a suitable pain reliever, as well as a gel to relieve inflammation from the gums.

In addition, you can:

• offer your baby a baby silicone tooth ring after cooling it in the refrigerator, or a chilled terry cloth;
• apply a protective cream to the chin, neck and chest, which will save the skin from irritation due to frequent contact with saliva;
• Gently massage your baby’s gums with chamomile oil or ice cubes wrapped in a cloth;
• apply compresses with decoctions of chamomile or oak bark to the gums;
• hold the child more often in an upright position to reduce blood flow to the head and thereby reduce pain;
• give more fluid to compensate for its loss with saliva;
• monitor the room temperature and ventilate the room regularly.

The most important thing during this period is to keep calm and give the baby maximum attention. Prolonged cries and tears tire the child and exhaust his nervous system, and caress, warmth and care help to restore it.

What should never be done

Doctors forbid giving analgin and aspirin to a child – these drugs have not been used in pediatrics for a long time, and instead of them there are safer and more effective ones. It is also impossible to apply these tablets to the gums, because against the background of abundant salivation, the preparations will be absorbed – negative consequences are possible.

If you want to help your baby by massaging the gums, use safe products for this, but never alcohol or drugs containing alcohol. At any age, their entry into the children’s body is unacceptable.

Symptoms of eruption of molars

Change of milk teeth and eruption of permanent teeth begins at the age of 5-6, lasts up to 11-13 years and is accompanied by the following symptoms (many of them may be absent):

• enlargement of the jaw in size;
• increased salivation;
• atypical behavior of the child – capriciousness, irritability;
• loss of appetite;
• cough or runny nose;
• upset stomach;
• elevated body temperature.

It is important to teach your child how to use sterile wipes or handkerchiefs to avoid irritation from bacteria in saliva. If diarrhea occurs more than three times a day, it is better to consult a doctor, as this indicates the presence of an infection in the body, which can aggravate the situation.

Keep calm and your child, no matter what age he is, will get through this difficult period easier!

Teeth are being cut. How to help your child

A child’s first teeth appear at a very early age. This time is a difficult test for kids. Children feel pain and discomfort, do not sleep at night and do not let their parents sleep. However, there are various remedies for pain relief and reducing inflammation of the gums that alleviate the suffering of infants.

Child is teething – symptoms

The main signs of erupting teeth:
• fever;
• redness of the gums;
• increased salivation;
• mild cough;
• crying;
• poor appetite;
• indigestion.
These symptoms are similar to the signs of some diseases, but the mistake can be excluded if you know what time the teeth appear.

When the first teeth appear

The question “what time does a child’s teething” is impossible to answer accurately. Milk teeth appear at the age of six months with a slight deviation of a month and a half, depending on the genetic predisposition. The incisors and canines begin to appear first, the molars last. By the age of three, all milk teeth have already grown in children.

Teething – how to help a child

When teething, the gums hurt in babies and the temperature rises. It is not recommended to use an antipyretic if the temperature rises slightly.

To relieve the child of pain, use a child’s pain reliever: paracetamol, panadol or nurofen. But before doing this, consult your doctor.

Children’s anti-inflammatory gels “Kamistad”, “Kalgel” or “Dentinoks” can be used. The composition of these gels includes painkillers and extracts of medicinal herbs. They relieve inflammation and irritation, reduce pain and have antiseptic properties. The gel is applied to the gums three times a day in small doses.

Teethers

When teething, children have an incessant desire to chew something and put everything they see into their mouths. In order to relieve itchy gums, they can be given special teethers.
Teethers are soft rubber toys. Their main task is to massage the gums during the period when the child is teething.

When choosing a teether, pay attention to the quality of the material. Rubber should not be too soft or hard. The first will lead to the fact that the toy will begin to crumble, and the child will swallow its pieces, and the gums will be injured due to the second. Dyes in the composition of the material can only be food.

Do not leave the teether on the child for the whole day. When teeth appear, their roots are still weak, and the baby can damage them, which will lead to a pathological change in the bite.