When do baby teeth normally come through?

The simple answer to this question is that there’s no “normal” time for your baby’s teeth to come through. But, there is a rough timeline that you can refer to which will help you keep track of your baby’s teething progress. Please keep in mind that this is merely a rough guideline as it’s perfectly reasonable for your baby to show signs of his or her first tooth as early as 3 months or as late as 12 months.

First tooth

Generally speaking, most babies will get their first tooth when they are around 6 months old. There’s a high chance that your baby could have been born with the first tooth already. On the other hand, some won’t show their first tooth until their 1st birthday.
The two front teeth along your baby’s bottom jaw tend to be the first ones to appear, followed by the two front teeth at the top of the mouth. Once these have sprouted, the teeth usually grow in order, working their way along to the last teeth at the very back of the mouth (their second molars). You can expect these last teeth to come through when the baby is 3 years old. By then, your baby should have a beautiful set of 20 little pearly whites, also known as milk teeth.

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Teething process

Unfortunately for some babies (and parents), the teething process is not always a comfortable one. Rest assured, discomfort during teething is an entirely natural effect and there are some common symptoms that you might notice. For instance, your baby might have sore and red gums where a new tooth is pushing through, he or she might be dribbling more than usual and chewing on objects as a relief from the pain.

What can I do?

There are some ways you can minimise your baby’s discomfort during teething. Soothe their toothache by giving the baby something safe to chew on to relieve the pressure on their gums. You can purchase teething rings from any good childcare store. An alternative natural option is to offer your baby some hard foods to chew on, like apple or carrot, which is only suitable for when your baby has progressed to solids. Just make sure you keep an eye on them when they are chewing these foods.
Another option is to apply teething gel, which you can do when your baby is more than four months old. This can help to cool the baby’s mouth and numb the pain slightly. If you don’t have a gel to hand, something cold like plain yoghurt can be a useful substitute.
Some babies will hardly make any noise at all during the teething process, as it can be a completely pain-free experience. It all depends on the baby, and each case is individual. If you’re ever worried about the progress of your child’s teething development, take them for a check-up at the doctor or dentist.