Teething is a rite of passage that every baby experiences. It's a process that involves the movement of milk teeth - also known as baby teeth, primary teeth, or deciduous teeth - up, and then through an infant's gums.
Unfortunately, although it's completely natural and normal, it can be painful for babies and, in turn, stressful for their parents and caregivers.
To help you understand more about the teething timeline, we've created this guide to help you understand when teething starts, which of your baby's teeth will appear first, how many teeth they'll have, and when they'll eventually get their adult teeth.
Infant oral care before teeth appear
Even before their teeth appear, it's important to care for your baby's gums from the get-go. Doing so gets them used to having their mouth cleaned and can make it easier to introduce toothbrushing when their teeth arrive.
You can do this by wiping down their gums with firm but gentle pressure at least twice a day using a clean piece of gauze, a moistened washcloth, or a specially designed rubber finger brush.
This baby care step is particularly important after feeds and before bedtime, because plaque can still exists in a baby's mouth even before they have teeth, and this can cause bacteria to build up which could potentially harm their delicate gums and tiny new teeth when they start to grow in.
When do infants get teeth?
All babies start teething at slightly different times. For some, the signs of infant teething begin to show as early as three months, while other little ones don't start teething until after their first birthday.
On average, most babies start showing symptoms of teething when they're around six months old, with their two bottom, front teeth appearing first.
Here's a rough guide to how a baby's teeth emerge and how long teething usually lasts.
- Bottom incisors (bottom front teeth): These are usually the first teeth to appear, usually at around six to 10 months.
- Top incisors (top front teeth): These usually come through from about eight to 12 months.
- Top lateral incisors (either side of the top front teeth): These appear at around nine to 13 months.
- Bottom lateral incisors (either side of the bottom front teeth): These come through at around 10 to 16 months.
- First molars (back teeth): These come through at around 13 to 19 months.
- Canines (often known as the 'fang' or 'eye tooth'): These come through at around 16 to 23 months.
- Second molars: These come through at around 20 to 30 months.
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How long does infant teething last?
Most babies will have all 20 of their milk teeth by the time they're around three years old.
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When should you start brushing baby teeth?
You should begin brushing your baby's teeth morning and night as soon as they appear through their gums. To learn more, check out our guide on how to brush infant teeth.
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How many baby teeth will my baby have?
By the time they've stopped teething, children have 20 milk teeth in total. That's 10 on the top, and 10 on the bottom.
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When do baby teeth fall out?
A child's 20 milk teeth will usually begin to fall out around the age of six or seven to make way for their permanent adult teeth - of which there will be 32!
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