When do babies start teething?

Most babies start teething at around 4 to 7 months old, and the two bottom front teeth usually arrive first. The range is wide and largely inherited, so a baby with no teeth at 10 months and a baby with 4 teeth at 7 months can both be entirely typical.

By about age 3, most children have all 20 of their baby teeth.

Around this age

The AAP describes the usual order: the central incisors at the bottom, then the matching pair at the top, then the teeth either side of those, then the first molars, then the canines. Timing varies between children and within the same family, and a later start is not a sign that anything is wrong.

The signs that go with teething are mild. Drooling that soaks through 2 shirts before lunch. Gnawing on fingers, toys, the edge of the crib rail, you. Gums that look swollen and feel tender where a tooth is coming through. More fussing than usual, especially in the evening.

Some things are commonly blamed on teething that the sources do not connect to it. The AAP says a temperature above 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 Celsius) is probably not from teething, and that a baby who seems particularly miserable is worth a call rather than a wait.

Teething also tends to come in waves. A rough few days before a tooth appears, then a quiet stretch, then the next one.

What families usually do

Rub the gums with a clean finger. It is unglamorous and it is the first thing the AAP suggests.

Offer a firm rubber teething ring. The AAP advises against freezing them, since a teether that hard can bruise tender gums, and against liquid-filled ones.

Something cool rather than frozen can help: a chilled (not frozen) teether, or a clean damp washcloth to chew on, with you watching.

Wipe the chin and neck through the day, since constant drool can leave the skin sore and chapped.

Start brushing when teeth appear, and mention teething at the next visit so your pediatrician can look at how the teeth are coming in.

Several products sold for teething carry warnings. The FDA says that over-the-counter benzocaine gels and liquids can cause methemoglobinemia, a serious and sometimes fatal condition in which blood carries much less oxygen, and it has asked companies to stop marketing them for teething. It gives similar warnings about viscous lidocaine put in a baby’s mouth, which has caused severe harm including seizures, brain injury and death when too much is used or it is swallowed. The FDA has also received reports of deaths and serious injuries from teething jewelry, including amber necklaces, through strangulation and choking. The AAP adds homeopathic teething tablets to that list. Both bodies point back to the same two things: a clean finger, and a firm rubber ring.

When to call your pediatrician

A fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit, diarrhea, vomiting, a rash, or a baby who is unusually miserable are worth a call. Those are signs of something other than a tooth, and your pediatrician can tell you what is going on.

Sources

• When Does Teething Start? — HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Safely Soothing Teething Pain in Infants and Children — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This is educational information from public sources, not a replacement for advice from your child’s healthcare professional.

In Withya, the teething guide for your child’s age sits under Guides, next to the nights you logged when the molars came in.