Teething is a typical part of infancy. While the timing of teething can vary, discomfort and pain can cause irritability, and parents or caregivers may be unsure how to soothe their children.
Understanding how to recognize the symptoms of teething and distinguish them from other ailments can be helpful.
This article discusses the timing of tooth eruption and shedding, teething symptoms, and teething remedies.
A child usually has 20 baby teeth, which start to come through at about 6 months of age. They fall out, or shed, at various times throughout childhood. By age 21, all 32 permanent teeth have usually appeared.
Below is a breakdown of when each type of tooth erupts in infancy and the use of the teeth.
| Type of tooth | Typical age tooth erupts | Use of tooth |
|---|---|---|
| upper central incisor | 8–12 months | sharp incisors that help to bite into food and cut into pieces |
| upper lateral incisor | 9–13 months | as above |
| upper canine (cuspid) | 16–22 months | sharp teeth to help tear food |
| first upper molar | 13–19 months | large, flat molars to help chew and grind food |
| second upper molar | 25–33 months | as above |
| lower central incisor | 6–10 months | sharp incisors that help bite into food and cut into pieces |
| lower lateral incisor | 10–16 months | as above |
| lower canine (cuspid) | 17–23 months | sharp teeth to help tear food |
| first lower molar | 14–18 months | large, flat molars to help chew and grind food |
| second lower molar | 23–31 months | as above |
For most children, teething begins at 4–7 months.
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- low-level fever
- drooling
- an urge to chew
- irritability
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One 2020 study involving 200 parents found they all held misconceptions about the teething process, misattributing unrelated symptoms to teething such as fever, diarrhea, and sleep issues.
People should consider talking with a doctor or pediatrician about whether an infant is teething as expected.
According to one
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Baby teeth usually begin to fall out — shed — around 6 years.
Most children have almost all of their adult teeth by age 13. Wisdom teeth may appear during a person’s adolescence, young adulthood, or not at all. A child’s teeth fall out at different ages according to the following breakdown.
| Type of tooth | Typical age tooth sheds |
|---|---|
| upper central incisor | 6–7 years |
| upper lateral incisor | 7–8 years |
| upper canine (cuspid) | 10–12 years |
| first upper molar | 9–11 years |
| second upper molar | 10–12 years |
| lower central incisor | 6–7 years |
| lower lateral incisor | 7–8 years |
| lower canine (cuspid) | 9–12 years |
| first lower molar | 9–11 years |
| second lower molar | 10–12 years |
While most children have most of their adult teeth in place by age 13, the wisdom teeth can take some time to erupt. Sometimes, teeth can become impacted and stuck under the gums. This is especially common with wisdom teeth.
A parent or caregiver should take a child for regular dental checkups to ensure there are no issues with teeth growth or shedding.
Adequate oral hygiene is also essential — even for children who may still be shedding their baby teeth. The American Dental Association recommends:
- brushing infant teeth as soon as they erupt with a tiny, rice-grain amount of fluoride toothpaste to prevent tooth decay
- brushing teeth twice a day
- using a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste for those aged 3–6 years
- cleaning between teeth with floss when multiple teeth that can touch each other grow in
Infants should have their first dental visit after their tooth erupts and no later than their first birthday.
Baby teeth typically start to grow during infancy at around 4–7 months. However, the exact timing may vary depending on the child.
Common symptoms include irritability, gum irritation, the urge to gnaw on hard objects, and drooling.
Safe and effective teething remedies include providing a child with hard rubber teething rings or manually rubbing a child’s gums to soothe irritation.
People should consider talking with a doctor or pediatrician about whether an infant is teething as expected.