Most infants get their first tooth around 6 months of age, though the normal range spans from about 6 to 10 months. The lower front teeth (central incisors) almost always come in first, followed by the upper front teeth a couple months later. By age 3, most children have all 20 of their primary teeth.
The Typical Teething Timeline
Teething follows a fairly predictable pattern, starting at the front of the mouth and working backward. The two bottom front teeth lead the way, usually appearing between 6 and 10 months. The two upper front teeth follow at 8 to 12 months, and the upper lateral incisors (the teeth flanking the front two) come in around 9 to 13 months.
After the front eight teeth are in, there’s often a brief pause before the first molars arrive between 13 and 19 months. The canines, or pointed teeth, fill in the gaps between the incisors and molars around 16 to 23 months. The second molars, all the way in the back, are the last to appear, typically between 23 and 33 months. The full process takes roughly two years from start to finish.
These windows are averages. Some babies get teeth a month or two early, others a month or two late. Girls tend to teethe slightly earlier than boys. What matters more than exact timing is that teeth are appearing in a reasonable sequence.
When Teething Is Considered Delayed
In the general population, the first tooth erupts somewhere between 24 and 40 weeks of age (roughly 6 to 10 months). If no tooth has appeared by 40 weeks, or about 10 months, pediatric dentists typically consider it delayed. Most of the time, a late first tooth is simply a variation of normal and the teeth show up on their own. Occasionally, nutritional factors or certain medical conditions play a role.
Premature babies often teethe later than their full-term peers. For preemies, developmental milestones during the first two years are generally tracked using corrected age, not the calendar birthday. You calculate corrected age by subtracting the number of weeks your baby was born early from their actual age. So a baby born at 32 weeks who is now 6 months old has a corrected age of about 4 months, and teething expectations should match that adjusted timeline. Research from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry found that the severity of neonatal illness, birth weight, and the duration of oral intubation in the NICU all influence when a premature baby’s first tooth breaks through.
What Happens Inside the Gums
Baby teeth actually begin forming in the jaw long before birth. By the time a tooth is ready to emerge, it’s fully encased in dense bone. Specialized cells gradually dissolve the bone above the tooth, creating a pathway toward the surface. As the tooth’s root lengthens, the surrounding tissue generates an upward force that pushes the tooth through. Once the tooth clears the bone, it still has to break through the gum tissue, which is why you’ll often see a swollen ridge on your baby’s gums days before the tooth itself becomes visible.
This process explains why teething discomfort tends to come in waves. The tooth isn’t moving at a constant speed. It accelerates once more than half the root has developed, meaning the final push through the gum can happen relatively quickly after days of soreness.
Recognizable Signs of Teething
The hallmark symptoms are drooling, irritability, and a strong urge to chew on things. You may notice your baby gnawing on fingers, toys, or anything within reach. The gums where a tooth is coming in often look red or swollen, and your baby may be fussier than usual, particularly in the days right before a tooth breaks through.
One persistent myth is that teething causes fever. It doesn’t. Teething can cause a very slight rise in temperature, but anything at or above 100.4°F is a true fever and signals an infection, not a tooth coming in. The teething window happens to overlap with the age when babies lose some of their maternal antibodies and start picking up more infections, which is likely why the two get conflated. If your baby has a real fever, diarrhea, or a rash, those symptoms deserve their own attention rather than being written off as teething.
Safe Ways to Ease Teething Pain
The simplest and safest relief is pressure on the gums. A clean finger, a chilled (not frozen) teething ring, or a cold washcloth all give your baby something firm to bite down on, which counteracts the pressure of the tooth pushing upward. Keeping the teething ring in the refrigerator rather than the freezer avoids the risk of damaging sensitive gum tissue.
If your baby seems truly uncomfortable, especially during molar eruptions, infant acetaminophen is an option for babies of any age (dosed by weight). Ibuprofen is only appropriate for infants 6 months and older. Always follow weight-based dosing on the package or from your pediatrician rather than going by age alone.
Products to Avoid
The FDA has issued direct warnings against using numbing gels or creams containing benzocaine or lidocaine on teething babies. Benzocaine can trigger a rare but potentially fatal condition that reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. Lidocaine solutions, even prescription versions, have been linked to seizures, heart problems, severe brain injury, and death in infants when too much is applied or accidentally swallowed. These products offer little measurable benefit for teething pain, and the risks far outweigh any temporary relief.
Homeopathic teething tablets have also drawn FDA scrutiny after reports of serious adverse events. Amber teething necklaces pose strangulation and choking hazards. The FDA has received reports of infant deaths associated with teething jewelry. Despite their popularity, none of these products have evidence supporting their effectiveness.
When to Schedule a First Dental Visit
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend that children have their first dental visit during their first year of life, ideally around the time the first teeth start appearing. Early visits focus less on the teeth themselves and more on teaching parents about cavity prevention, fluoride needs, and what to expect as more teeth come in. Starting dental visits early, before problems develop, is one of the most effective ways to prevent childhood cavities.