Baby Teeth Eruption Chart: What Age Should Each Tooth Come In?

Every parent eventually asks this at 2am with a fussy, drooling baby: is this tooth actually late, or normal? The honest answer is that baby teeth follow a general order and a wide range of normal timing — a difference of several months in either direction is common and rarely means anything is wrong.

Here's the chart worth bookmarking, followed by what actually matters if your child falls outside it.

Baby Teeth Eruption Chart (By Age)

Tooth	Typical eruption age (lower jaw)	Typical eruption age (upper jaw)
Central incisors (front teeth)	6–10 months	8–12 months
Lateral incisors	10–16 months	9–13 months
Canines (cuspids)	17–23 months	16–22 months
First molars	14–18 months	13–19 months
Second molars	23–31 months	25–33 months

By around age 3, most children have their full set of 20 primary teeth. Lower front teeth usually arrive first, and second molars are typically the last to come in — which is also, not coincidentally, usually the most uncomfortable stretch of teething, since molars are larger and push through more gum tissue at once.

Why the Ranges Are So Wide

These ranges reflect normal variation, not measurement error. Genetics plays a real role — if a parent's teeth came in early or late, their child's often follow a similar pattern. Premature birth can shift the timeline later. And within any range, a healthy child can simply run early or late without any underlying cause. Pediatric dentists generally don't consider a tooth "late" until it's several months past the outer edge of the typical range, and even then the first step is usually watching, not intervening.

Signs Teething Is Starting

Teething symptoms typically show up a few days to a couple of weeks before a tooth actually breaks through the gum:

• Increased drooling
• Chewing or gnawing on fingers, toys, or anything within reach
• Swollen, tender, or slightly reddened gums
• Mild irritability or fussiness, especially in the evening
• Slightly disrupted sleep
• A mild, temporary increase in temperature (see the note below)
• Reduced appetite for solid foods, particularly if gums are sore

One thing worth being clear about: teething does not cause high fever, diarrhea, or a significant cough or congestion, despite how often these get blamed on a new tooth. Research consistently finds teething is associated with, at most, a very mild temperature rise — not a true fever. If your child has a temperature above 38°C (100.4°F), or has diarrhea, a rash, or seems genuinely unwell rather than just fussy, treat it as a separate issue and see a doctor rather than assuming it's "just teething."

What Actually Helps With Teething Discomfort

Approach	Notes
Chilled (not frozen) teething ring or clean, cold, damp washcloth	Cold reduces gum inflammation; avoid fully frozen items, which can be too hard on sensitive gums
Gently massaging the gum with a clean finger	Direct counter-pressure often provides quick, short-term relief
Age-appropriate pain relief, if recommended by your pediatrician	Only under medical guidance on dosing for your child's age and weight — never apply adult pain-relief gels or products containing benzocaine to an infant's gums, which carries serious safety risks in young children
Extra comfort and feeding flexibility	Some babies feed less due to gum discomfort; smaller, more frequent feeds can help during a rough stretch

Teething necklaces, amber or otherwise, are not recommended by pediatric health authorities — they carry choking and strangulation risks that outweigh any soothing benefit, which isn't well established to begin with.

Caring for Teeth as They Come In

Oral care starts before the first tooth actually appears — wiping an infant's gums with a clean, damp cloth after feeds gets the habit established early. Once the first tooth erupts, switch to a soft, age-appropriate infant toothbrush and a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste (check with your dentist on timing and amount for your child's age), brushing gently twice a day. The first dental visit is recommended by the child's first birthday or within six months of the first tooth appearing, whichever comes first — earlier than most parents expect, but it's meant to catch early issues and build comfort with dental visits well before any treatment is likely to be needed.

When to Actually Check In With a Dentist

Occasional variation from the chart is normal and rarely needs intervention on its own. It's worth a conversation with a pediatric dentist if no teeth have appeared by around 18 months, if teeth are coming in visibly crooked or unusually spaced in a way that concerns you, if there's any sign of decay on a tooth soon after it erupts (a chalky white or brown patch), or if teething discomfort seems severe enough that your child isn't eating or sleeping at all for more than a couple of days. None of these are emergencies on their own, but they're worth a proper look rather than assuming it will sort itself out.

The exact week a tooth arrives matters far less than most parents fear in the moment. What matters more is the routine that starts once it does — a soft brush, a little toothpaste, and a first dental visit before there's ever a reason to be nervous about one.