The time when your first child is growing their first baby teeth can be an incredibly stressful period. Lots of crying. Lots of drooling. Lots of chewing…especially on things that they most likely shouldn’t put in their mouths. Most new parents go through this period completely blind, without any sort of idea of what to expect and when.
At Pediatric Smiles & Braces, we want parents to have as much knowledge as possible when it comes to their child’s dental health. That’s why we put together this comprehensive visual guide for new parents that outlines the journey of baby teeth from first eruption to the first loose tooth. Obviously, every child is different. Some may stick closely with these timelines while others may widely vary. If you have specific questions, you can always contact us and one of our dentists or dental assistants will be more than happy to speak with you.
6 – 8 Months Old
Expect the first signs of teeth to start appearing around 6 to 8 months. However, it’s entirely normal for teething to start at any time between three to 12 months of age. Generally, the first teeth to show up will be the lower front teeth. Before the first teeth start to emerge, you may notice that your child is more “drooly” than normal. Also, expect to see more fussiness than normal as well as some redness around the gums.
8 Months Old
Around 8 months, you will start to see the top front teeth start to come in. If your baby hasn’t entered full blown teething mode yet, they soon will be. Expect the fussiness to increase. Don’t be alarmed, but you may also notice that your baby seems warmer than usual. Fussiness and increased discomfort can cause your baby to feel more flush but contrary to popular belief, teething doesn’t cause actual fevers.
9 Months Old
When this set of teeth start to come in, it is our experience that your child may enter into the most “chewy” phase of teething. Generally, the further back the eruptions, the more discomfort there is so think about putting your child’s favorite chewing toy in the fridge. The coolness of the toy will provide some relief from the discomfort.
10-12 Months Old
Nursing mothers beware! We would never presume to tell a mother how to feed their baby but be warned…the bite surface area has now officially doubled since the first eruptions.
14-15 Months Old
Here is where we tend to see the most discomfort for teething babies. You may notice that your child might be shoving their chew toy further into their mouths in an attempt to relieve the discomfort around the erupting tooth. As a result of pushing chewing items further back, choking can now become a real potential danger if they are putting random things into their mouths.
16 Months Old
At this point, there is no shame in giving your child a small dose of children’s Tylenol to help relieve the discomfort. We recommend no more than 3.5mm every 4 hours.
18 Months Old
21-30 Months Old
