If your baby’s upper teeth are coming in before the lower ones, there’s nothing wrong. The most commonly cited pattern is lower central incisors first, followed by the upper front teeth, but plenty of babies do it the other way around. The order teeth appear in varies from child to child and is not a sign of a developmental problem.
The Typical Eruption Order
Most teething charts show the lower central incisors (the two bottom front teeth) arriving first, usually between 6 and 10 months. The upper central incisors typically follow between 8 and 12 months, with the upper lateral incisors close behind at 9 to 13 months. After that, the lower lateral incisors come in around 10 to 16 months. From there, the first molars, canines, and second molars fill in gradually through age 2 to 3.
This is a general guideline, not a rigid schedule. It’s based on averages across large groups of babies, so any individual child can deviate without it meaning anything clinically.
Why Some Babies Get Upper Teeth First
A few factors explain why the sequence can flip. The upper jaw (maxilla) sometimes develops at a slightly faster rate than the lower jaw in early infancy, which can push those upper teeth into position sooner. The upper front teeth may also sit in a spot where they have less gum tissue to push through, giving them a head start.
Genetics play a significant role. Research has found wide variations in eruption patterns and timing between different populations and ethnic groups, with distinct patterns documented in children from Hong Kong, Pakistan, Finland, Iceland, and the United States. Tooth formation involves complex interactions between multiple genes, so if a parent or sibling got upper teeth first, your baby may follow the same pattern. Family history is one of the strongest predictors of eruption order.
Nutrition, birth weight, and overall growth rate can also shift the timeline. Premature babies, for example, often experience delayed eruption across the board, and the sequence may differ from the textbook chart.
What This Means for Your Baby’s Development
Getting upper teeth before lower teeth does not affect how the rest of the teeth will come in, and it does not predict orthodontic problems later. Primary teeth are temporary. The alignment and spacing of baby teeth are poor indicators of what permanent teeth will look like years down the road. Your baby’s jaw is still growing rapidly, and everything will continue to shift as new teeth emerge.
The total number of primary teeth (20) and the general age range for completing the set (by around age 3) stay the same regardless of which tooth showed up first.
Teething Symptoms to Expect
Upper teeth erupting can cause the same symptoms as lower teeth: drooling, fussiness, a desire to chew on everything, and swollen or tender gums. You may notice the swelling is higher up on the gum ridge, closer to the nose, which can sometimes make babies rub their face or seem more uncomfortable than they were with lower teeth. Some parents report slightly more irritability with upper teeth because the gum tissue in that area can be thicker, though this varies widely.
A chilled (not frozen) teething ring or a clean, damp washcloth to gnaw on provides relief for most babies. Gently rubbing the swollen gum with a clean finger can also help. Low-grade fussiness and disrupted sleep are normal during eruption, but a high fever or diarrhea is not caused by teething and warrants a closer look.
Caring for Those First Upper Teeth
Start cleaning as soon as you see a tooth, regardless of where it is. Before teeth appear, you can massage your baby’s gums after feedings with a moistened washcloth wrapped around your finger. Once a tooth breaks through, switch to a soft-bristled infant toothbrush with plain water. Brush twice a day. At age 2, you can introduce a pea-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste and teach your child to spit it out rather than swallow it.
Upper front teeth deserve extra attention because they’re more exposed to milk or formula that pools against them during feeding, especially bottle feeding. Wiping those teeth after nighttime feeds can reduce the risk of early cavities.
When to Schedule a First Dental Visit
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that every child see a dentist within six months of the first tooth erupting, or by their first birthday, whichever comes first. This applies whether the first tooth is an upper or lower one. That initial visit establishes what the AAPD calls a “dental home,” a relationship with a dentist who can track your child’s oral development over time and catch any issues early.
If your baby’s upper teeth came in first and you’re curious whether the lower ones are on track, that first dental visit is a good opportunity to ask. A pediatric dentist can check the gum tissue for signs that the lower teeth are forming normally beneath the surface.