When Do Babies Start Teething, and How Long Does It Last?

Updated

14 April 2020

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Published

12 August 2019

Fact Checked

Reviewed by Kate Shkodzik, MD, Obstetrician and gynecologist

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Teething is a major milestone for a baby, and many new parents ask the questions, “When do babies start teething?” and “How long does teething last?” Because all babies are different, there’s no one answer, but most infants follow a similar teething pattern. Knowing the general time frame for teething helps parents keep babies comfortable during the process.

For most babies, teething begins between 5 and 8 months of age. Some, of course, begin a few weeks or months earlier, while others start teething much later. Early teethers might start sprouting the first tooth at 3 months, while late teethers may not begin until 10 months or so.

The answer to “When do babies start teething?” might also depend on genetics, as the age teething starts seems to run in families. Siblings or parents who were early or late teethers may give a clue as to when teething might begin for a particular baby. In addition, babies born prematurely may start teething later than the average for their age.

Parents sometimes notice symptoms of teething before they actually see teeth poking through the gums. Teething symptoms may show up a few days before the tooth appears. Some common symptoms of teething include:

• Drooling
• Restless sleep 
• Fussiness that comes and goes instead of being continual
• Refusal to eat
• Chewing on the hands or other objects
• A mild rash around the mouth caused by drool
• Rubbing the ears or cheeks when the molars are erupting

Babies who are teething don’t typically have a fever, diarrhea, coughing, vomiting, rashes on the body, or excess fussiness for long periods of time. Parents shouldn’t consider these signs an indication that the teeth are coming in. Some babies might have a mild fever when teething starts, but it won’t be above 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Any fever that high indicates another illness.

Not all babies have symptoms during teething. Some infants breeze through the process without becoming fussy at all. Most have at least a small amount of crankiness or exhibit chewing behaviors associated with teething, though. You might also be able to see swelling or a slight blister that appears on the gums before the tooth actually pops through.

Because the earliest symptoms of teething can be subtle, new moms who are distracted by other concerns or moms with insomnia might not notice until the teeth appear. Knowing the timeline for typical tooth eruption helps you know when to expect teething symptoms to appear.

Once those first teeth start breaking through the gums, the entire teething process lasts about 1.5 years. The baby teeth, also known as primary teeth, tend to come out in pairs, starting when the infant is around 6 months old and continuing until the child is around 24 months old.  

Most babies get their two bottom middle teeth first, then the matching top two teeth a couple of months later. Some babies have their own patterns, though, so it’s perfectly normal if your infant already has three or four teeth at the top or bottom before the others start coming in. If you don’t see any teeth at all by the age of about 15 months, check with your child’s pediatrician or a pediatric dentist to make sure no problems exist.

The baby teething chart below can help you anticipate which teeth are coming in next. 

• 6 months: lower central incisors
• 8 months: upper central incisors
• 10 months: upper and lower lateral incisors
• 14 months: first molars
• 18 months: canine teeth
• Between 20 and 30 months: second molars

Knowing the answer to the question “When do babies start teething?” gives you a head start on helping your infant get through the process smoothly. The process itself can be stressful, though.

When your baby is young, there are a lot of things demanding your attention. Issues such as postpartum depression can make it difficult to pay attention to subtle signs of teething or other physical baby milestones. You might be preoccupied with weight loss after pregnancy or dealing with postpartum birth control. Having a clear idea of how to help your child gives you a plan of action to deal with teething.

Taking care of yourself is the first step to helping your child get through teething. Moms and dads with postpartum depression or excess stress after the birth might also feel overwhelmed by the fussiness of teething. Just remember that your baby is feeling uncomfortable and that any fussiness is simply their way of letting you know. It might also help to know that babies often adapt to teething after the first few teeth are out and may not be as fussy for later teeth. 

Your baby is likely to try putting objects in their mouth to ease the pain and discomfort of teething. Pressure on the gums relieves the soreness. You can press gently on your child’s gums to help.

Providing teething rings or a small towel gives your baby something safe to chew on. You can chill these objects beforehand to make them feel even better on your baby’s sensitive gums. The cold has a numbing effect that reduces pain. Be careful not to leave ice or frozen objects on your baby’s gums for too long because this could cause tissue damage. Slightly chilled teething rings are better than frozen ones.

If your teething infant is refusing food because of the discomfort, you might try different bottle nipples to see if any are more comfortable. Distractions can also help during teething. Your child might want extra cuddling sessions or might want to breastfeed more often during teething as a way to self-comfort.

Medicines aren’t generally recommended for teething. Oral medications with benzocaine, including rub-on gels, could be dangerous for babies. If your baby is experiencing a lot of pain during teething, your doctor might recommend ibuprofen or acetaminophen if the infant is over 6 months old.  

Don’t use alcohol on a baby’s gums to ease teething pain, and avoid feeding your child hard or frozen objects, such as hard crackers or frozen banana chunks, during teething. These hard foods could break apart and become a choking hazard. 

Now that you know the answer to the question “When do babies start teething?” you are prepared for this exciting milestone. Soon, your infant can start exploring foods that weren’t possible before their teeth came in. 

References

https://www.parenting.com/article/guide-teething-symptoms

History of updates

Current version
(14 April 2020)

Reviewed by Kate Shkodzik, MD, Obstetrician and gynecologist

Published
(24 July 2019)

four to 12 months » Whānau Āwhina Plunket

Baby teeth order

Baby teeth can come through in any order, but most often the central bottom teeth are first to break through.  

Here’s the usual order teeth come through the gum. Don’t worry if your baby’s teeth follow a different pattern – they’ll all break through the gums at some point. 

Ministry of Health

Teething

Every baby reacts differently to teething. Some babies’ teeth pop through the gums without any problems, but for others teething can be painful and upsetting.  

Your teething baby may: 

• drool more  
• develop a dribble rash on their cheeks or chin 
• cry or seem grumpy 
• have a slight fever 
• have red cheeks 
• not eat or sleep well 
• want to suck on or bite things  
• pull the ear on the same side the tooth’s coming through 
• seem to be filling their nappy more than usual, or have different poo (which may cause nappy rash).    

Teething doesn’t make babies sick. If your baby isn’t well, it’s always best to take them to the doctor, especially if they have a fever or diarrhea, or you’re worried about any other symptoms. 

How to help your teething baby

It can be really upsetting to see your baby in distress. Here are some things you can do to help: 

• use a clean finger or the back of a cold spoon to gently rub their gums 
• wrap ice cubes in a clean face cloth and place it on your baby’s cheek 
• give your baby something to chew on, like 
• a clean teething ring (especially one you can cool in the fridge) 
• other cold things that they can suck on, like chilled fruit wrapped in a muslin cloth so they can’t chew bits off and choke on them
• try a teething gel from the chemist (carefully follow the instructions on how to use it).  

If your baby still seems unhappy or uncomfortable, it’s time to see your GP or child and family health nurse. Teething might not be the problem. 

Teething and breastfeeding

New teeth are super sharp, and it can really hurt if baby bites you while you’re breastfeeding. Pulling them off the breast while they’re biting can be even more painful. 

If your baby’s a biter, try taking them gently off the breast when they bite (by inserting your finger in the corner of their mouth to break the suction), have a short break, and then try again. Doing this every time they bite will teach them that breastfeeding stops when they do it. 

Your baby’s first teeth are important to help them eat and speak properly, and they guide the development of the second set of teeth. That’s why you need to look after them.  

You can start caring for and cleaning your baby’s gums well before the first tooth appears. Just wrap a clean, damp facecloth or gauze around your finger, and gently wipe their gums a couple of times a day.  This is a good idea because it gets them used to letting you touch their teeth and gums. 

As soon as teeth pop through, you can clean them twice a day (in the morning and before bed). You can use a small soft toothbrush with a thin smear of regular-strength fluoride toothpaste to gently brush your child’s teeth. Fluoride makes teeth stronger and reduces tooth decay (holes).  

How to brush your baby’s teeth

Babies can be super wriggly, and getting them to sit still to have their teeth cleaned can be challenging – but it’s worth the effort. Here’s how to do it: 

• place your baby in a position where you can see their mouth, and where they feel secure
• cup your baby’s chin in your hands, with their head resting against your body
• ” data-font=”Calibri” data-listid=”5″ aria-setsize=”-1″ data-aria-posinset=”1″ data-aria-level=”1″>clean their teeth using gentle circular motions
• lift their lips to brush the front and back of the teeth and at the gum line
• when you’ve finished, rinse the toothbrush with tap water, and store it upright in an open container so it can air-dry. Make sure it doesn’t rest against other family members’ toothbrushes, so decay-causing germs won’t travel between brushes and into your baby’s mouth.  

You should replace toothbrushes every three to four months, or when the bristles get worn or frayed. 

Choosing healthy drinks and food

At around six months old your baby might be ready to start eating solid food, and to start drinking from a sipper cup.  

To protect your baby’s teeth, choose healthy foods and drinks. Milk or boiled water can be given in a bottle or sippy cup. Sweet drinks, foods and juices can cause tooth decay and cause your baby to develop a taste for sugary foods. Children don’t need sweet drinks – milk and water are all they need. 

It’s not a good idea to put your baby to bed with a bottle, because going to sleep with a bottle of milk, a warm chocolate drink or juice will start to cause tooth decay. If they want to suck on something to settle themselves, you could use a pacifier/dummy with no sweetener. 

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Related topics

When teething begins: how to understand and how to help a baby

Tiunova Elena

Published: 07/06/2023

Reading time: 3 minutes

5616

When teething starts

There is no exact answer at what time a child’s teeth are cut – the timing is individual. However, you can focus on the average, standard teething terms approved by WHO:

• lower incisors appear at 6–7 months;
• upper at 7–8 months;
• upper lateral incisors at 8–9 months;
• lower – closer to the year.

According to the standard, a one-year-old child must have eight milk teeth.

From a year to a year and a half, a child acquires larger teeth – upper and lower molars, and from fifteen to twenty months – upper canines, which are also called “eye”. The fact is that the optic nerve passes next to them, so these teeth are often given to a child more difficult than others. Irritation of the nerve causes severe pain, and sometimes also lacrimation.

Understanding that the first teeth are being cut can be difficult even for a doctor. After all, this process is often accompanied by fever, changes in stool and mood, refusal to eat.

Formation of the dentition

The article tells how to understand that a child is teething, and about the means of helping him with pain and inflammation of the gums. But first, a few words about the process of forming the dentition.

All teeth are placed during the fifth month of fetal development. They are in a “frozen” state and begin to grow just before eruption. So if a child has no teeth by 9-12 months, x-ray is prescribed – a study that allows you to evaluate their bookmark and location.

What affects the timing of teething

The processes in the body are individual, including the timing. The age of appearance of the first teeth is determined by a number of factors:

• Heredity.
• Prenatal period and negative factors affecting the fetus (for example, taking certain drugs by a pregnant woman).
• Nutrition of the expectant mother during the period of expectation of the baby and breastfeeding.

Introduction of complementary foods, etc.

Teething symptoms

• may have slight fever;
• restlessness – the child becomes capricious, does not sleep well, often wakes up at night;
• decreased appetite;
• profuse salivation and, as a result, redness of the skin around the mouth;
• swelling and redness at the site of teething, possible formation of hematomas on the gum mucosa;
• increased need for baby to chew on something: pacifier, toys, fingers.

There are children in whom the appearance of teeth occurs asymptomatically and even unnoticed by the parents. But, as a rule, this process is accompanied by an individual combination of features listed above.

Ways to help a child

First of all, calm down.

Massaging the gums with a special silicone fingertip or a finger wrapped in gauze soaked in cool water helps speed up the process of appearance. Special-toy teethers with a cooled block also help well.

Information verified by an expert

Tiunova Elena

Pediatrician of the highest category, nutritionist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of the department of faculty pediatrics and propaedeutics of childhood diseases, Ural State Medical University

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Contents of article

• When teething starts
• Dental shaping
• What affects the timing of teething
• Symptoms of teething
• Ways to help a child

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Terms of eruption of permanent teeth in children

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The timing of teething can characterize both the biological and passport age of the child. The process and timing of teething depend not only on inherited genetic parameters. The timing of teething can be influenced by external and internal factors (climatic conditions, diet, quality of drinking water, etc.). In this regard, in different regions, the timing of eruption of permanent teeth fluctuate.

A person changes 20 teeth once during his life, and the remaining 8-12 teeth do not change, they erupt initially permanent (molars).

Until the age of three, all milk teeth erupt in a child, which by the age of 5 begin to gradually be replaced by permanent ones.

There are 20 milk teeth in total: each jaw has 4 incisors (4 central teeth), 2 canines (third from the center or “eye”) and 4 molars (fourth and fifth from the center “chewing” teeth).

An adult normally has 28-32 permanent teeth: each jaw has 4 incisors, 2 canines, 4 premolars and 4-6 molars. The development of the third molar (“wisdom tooth”) may not occur at all (with congenital adentia of the third molars), which is also considered the norm. Another situation is also possible: the “wisdom” tooth is laid in the thickness of the jaw, but never erupts (due to an incorrect position or lack of space in the jaw). This situation occurs very often.

After the eruption of all milk teeth, there are no tremas (slots, gaps) between them, which is the norm. But as the jaw grows, gaps between the milk teeth should appear before changing the milk teeth to the permanent ones. This process is necessary because the permanent teeth are larger than the milk teeth and if gaps are not formed, then the permanent teeth do not fit in the jaw and the child gets “crooked” permanent teeth.

In parallel with the formation of gaps between temporary teeth, there is a “resorption” of the roots of milk teeth, after which the teeth alternately loosen and fall out.

There is no general opinion about the normal timing of eruption of permanent teeth, since scientific studies by different authors were carried out in different regions and in different years of the last and our century. Here are the norms for the eruption of permanent teeth according to several authors:

Central incisors 5-6 years old (Vinogradova T.S. 1982)
6-8 years old (Kolesov A.A. 1985)
7-8 years old (Magid E.A. et al. 1987, Bykov V.L. 1998)
6-9 years old (Kalvelis D.A. 1994)

Lateral incisors 7-9 years old (Vinogradova T.S. 1982)
8-9 years old (Kolesov A.A. 1985, Magid E.A. et al. 1987, Bykov V.L. 1998)
7-10 years old (Kalvelis D.A. 1994)

Fangs 12-13 years old (Vinogradova T.S. 1982, Bykov V.L. 1998)
9-11 years old (Kolesov A.A. 1985)
10-13 years old (Magid E.A. et al. 1987)
9-14 years old (Kalvelis D.A. 1994)

First premolars 9-11 years old (Vinogradova T.S. 1982, Bykov V.L. 1998)
9-10 years old (Kolesov A.A.1985, Magid E.A. et al. 1987)
9-13 years old (Kalvelis D.A. 1994)

Second premolars 9-11 years old (Vinogradova T.S. 1982)
11-12 years old (Kolesov A.A. 1985, Magid E. A. et al. 1987, Bykov V.L. 1998)
10-14 years old (Kalvelis D.A. 1994)

First molars 4.5 -7 years old (Vinogradova T.S. 1982)
6 years old (Kolesov A.A. 1985)
5-6 years (Magid E.A. et al. 1987)
5-8 years old (Kalvelis D.A. 1994)
6-7 years old (Bykov V.L. 1998)

Second molars 12-13 years old (Vinogradova T.S. 1982, Kolesov A.A.1985, Magid E.A. et al. 1987, Bykov V.L. 1998)
11-14 years old (Kalvelis D.A. 1994)

Third molars (“wisdom teeth”) 18-25 years (Magid E.A. et al. 1987)
18-20 years old (Kalvelis D.A. 1994)
18-30 years old (Bykov V.L. 1998)

Here is the most common sequence of eruption of permanent teeth:

1. First molars (“sixth teeth”)
2. Central incisors
3. Lateral cutters
4. First premolars (“fourth teeth”)
5. Canines (“eye teeth”) and/or second premolars (“fifth teeth”)
6. Second molars (“seventh teeth”)
7. Third molars (“wisdom teeth”)

Important! Each milk tooth is normally loosened and replaced by a permanent one.