Most babies get their first tooth around 6 months of age, though the timing varies widely from one child to the next. Some infants sprout a tooth as early as 3 or 4 months, while others don’t see one until closer to their first birthday. If your baby hasn’t gotten any teeth by 9 months, it’s worth mentioning to your pediatrician.
The Typical Eruption Timeline
Babies are born with a full set of 20 primary teeth hidden beneath the gums. These teeth begin pushing through around 6 months, and the lower front teeth (the central incisors) are almost always the first to appear. The upper front teeth typically follow within a couple of months. From there, teeth continue to come in roughly in pairs, working from the front of the mouth toward the back. Most children have all 20 baby teeth by age 3.
The general order looks like this:
- Lower central incisors: 6 to 10 months
- Upper central incisors: 8 to 12 months
- Upper lateral incisors (the teeth beside the front ones): 9 to 13 months
- Lower lateral incisors: 10 to 16 months
- First molars: 13 to 19 months
- Canines (the pointed teeth): 16 to 23 months
- Second molars: 23 to 33 months
These ranges are averages. A baby who gets their first tooth at 4 months or at 12 months is still within the normal window. Genetics play a big role, so if you or your partner teethed early or late, your baby may follow the same pattern.
Babies Born With Teeth
In rare cases, a baby is born with one or more teeth already visible. These are called natal teeth, and they’re usually not well-formed. They can irritate the baby’s tongue during nursing and cause discomfort for breastfeeding mothers. If a natal tooth is loose, doctors often remove it shortly after birth because a loose tooth poses a choking or aspiration risk. Natal teeth are usually harmless and not connected to any underlying condition, though in uncommon cases they can be associated with certain genetic syndromes.
What Teething Actually Feels Like for Your Baby
Teething can make babies uncomfortable, but the symptoms are generally milder than many parents expect. The most common signs include increased drooling, swollen or puffy gums, fussiness, and a strong urge to chew on fingers, fists, or anything within reach. You might notice your baby gnawing on toys or the edge of their crib more than usual.
One important distinction: teething does not cause fevers, colds, rashes, or diarrhea. These are common misconceptions. If your baby develops a fever above 100.4°F or has diarrhea, something else is going on and it shouldn’t be chalked up to teething. The timing often overlaps because babies start teething around the same age they lose some of the immune protection they received from their mother, making infections more common. But the teeth themselves aren’t to blame.
Drooling can start as early as 3 or 4 months, well before any tooth appears. On its own, drooling is not a reliable sign that a tooth is about to break through.
Safe Ways to Ease Teething Pain
The simplest remedies work best. Gently rubbing your baby’s gums with a clean finger can provide real relief. A firm rubber teething ring gives them something safe to chew on. Avoid freezing teething rings, since a rock-hard surface can actually bruise tender gums. A chilled ring (kept in the refrigerator, not the freezer) is a better option.
What you should avoid is more important than what you use. The FDA has issued warnings against numbing gels and creams containing benzocaine or lidocaine for teething pain. Products like Orajel, Anbesol, and similar over-the-counter gels can cause a dangerous condition where the blood’s ability to carry oxygen drops severely. Prescription lidocaine solutions carry risks of seizures, heart problems, and brain injury in young children. Homeopathic teething tablets have also been flagged for safety concerns. None of these products offer meaningful benefit for teething, and the risks are serious.
Amber teething necklaces are another product to skip entirely. The FDA has received reports of strangulation and choking deaths linked to teething jewelry.
Caring for That First Tooth
As soon as the first tooth appears, it needs to be brushed. Use a soft, small-bristled toothbrush with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste, about the size of a grain of rice. Brush twice a day, ideally after breakfast and before bedtime. For children under 2, check with your pediatrician or dentist about whether to use fluoride toothpaste or plain water.
Once your child reaches age 3, you can increase the amount of toothpaste to a pea-sized dab. Children under 6 should always be supervised while brushing to make sure they spit the toothpaste out rather than swallowing it. At this age, they don’t yet have the coordination to brush thoroughly on their own, so plan on doing most of the work yourself for the first few years.
Baby teeth matter more than people often realize. They hold space in the jaw for adult teeth and play a role in speech development and nutrition. Decay in baby teeth can cause pain, infection, and problems with the permanent teeth developing underneath. Starting oral care with that very first tooth sets the foundation for years of healthy development.