Teething typically starts around 6 months of age and continues until about age 3, when the last baby teeth come in. But the discomfort isn’t constant over those two-plus years. Each individual tooth only causes symptoms for roughly 8 days: the 4 days before it breaks through the gum, the day it erupts, and the 3 days after. So while the overall teething process stretches across toddlerhood, the rough patches come in short, distinct waves.
The 8-Day Window for Each Tooth
A clinical trial published in BMC Oral Health found that teething symptoms cluster in an 8-day window around the day a tooth actually pokes through. The four days leading up to eruption tend to be the worst, with fussiness and drooling building as the tooth pushes closer to the surface. Once it breaks through, symptoms typically fade within three days. If your baby seems uncomfortable for much longer than a week at a stretch, something else may be going on.
When Each Tooth Arrives
Babies get 20 primary teeth total, and they follow a fairly predictable sequence, though the exact timing varies from child to child.
The lower central incisors (the two bottom front teeth) come first, usually between 6 and 10 months. The upper central incisors follow at 8 to 12 months. From there, the lateral incisors fill in on either side: 9 to 13 months on top, 10 to 16 months on the bottom.
The first molars arrive between 13 and 19 months, and the pointed canine teeth come in around 16 to 23 months. These middle stages often overlap, meaning your child might be cutting multiple teeth within a short period.
The second molars, sometimes called the two-year molars, are the last to arrive. Lower second molars typically show up between 23 and 31 months, while the upper ones come in between 25 and 33 months. Once those are in, the primary teething process is complete.
What Teething Actually Feels Like for Your Baby
The most common signs are drooling, swollen gums, irritability, and a strong urge to chew on things. Some babies also have disrupted sleep or refuse food, especially when molars are coming in since those broader teeth put more pressure on the gums.
One thing teething does not cause is a true fever. It may nudge your baby’s temperature slightly above normal, but it won’t reach 100.4°F (38°C), which is the medical threshold for fever. If your child’s temperature hits that mark or higher, that signals an infection, not teething. Babies happen to start teething around the same age they lose some of their maternal antibodies and start putting everything in their mouths, so infections and teething often coincide by coincidence.
Safe Ways to Ease the Pain
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends two simple approaches: gently rubbing your baby’s gums with a clean finger, and giving them a firm rubber teething ring to chew on. The pressure from chewing or massage helps counteract the sensation of a tooth pushing through. A chilled (not frozen) teething ring can add mild numbing relief. Avoid liquid-filled teethers, which can break, and don’t freeze a teething ring since a rock-hard surface can actually bruise sore gums.
What you should skip: numbing gels and teething tablets. The FDA has issued direct warnings against products containing benzocaine or lidocaine for teething pain, stating they offer little to no benefit and carry serious risks. Benzocaine can cause a condition that dramatically reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. Lidocaine solutions can lead to seizures, heart problems, and severe brain injury if too much is swallowed. Homeopathic teething tablets have also drawn safety warnings. None of these are worth the risk for a problem that resolves on its own within days.
Why Some Phases Feel Worse Than Others
Not all teeth cause the same level of discomfort. The front incisors are small and thin, so they tend to slide through with relatively mild fussiness. Molars are a different story. They have broad, flat surfaces that put more pressure on the gum tissue as they push up, and many parents notice that the first molars (around 13 to 19 months) and the second molars (around 23 to 33 months) bring the most irritability and sleep disruption.
There are also stretches where multiple teeth erupt close together. Between roughly 6 and 16 months, eight incisors are working their way in, sometimes in pairs. Then again between 13 and 23 months, four first molars and four canines arrive in overlapping windows. During these busier phases, it can feel like teething never lets up, even though each tooth is only symptomatic for about a week.
When Teeth Are Late
Some perfectly healthy babies don’t cut their first tooth until 12 or even 14 months. The 6-month starting point is an average, not a deadline. Genetics play a large role in timing. If teeth haven’t appeared by 18 months, a pediatric dentist can take a look to make sure everything is developing normally beneath the gums, but late teethers almost always catch up without any issues. The sequence of eruption matters more than the exact age, so the bottom front teeth should still come in first regardless of when they arrive.