It's 2am, your baby is drooling through the third bib of the day, and you've just typed "which baby teeth come first and when" into your phone. Short answer: most babies get their first tooth around 6 months — usually a bottom front one — and finish the full set of 20 milk teeth by about 2.5 to 3 years. They tend to arrive in pairs, bottom before top, front to back. Early, late, or out of order? Almost always fine too.
I'm a dentist. The worry I hear more than any other is some version of "is my baby behind?" Nine times out of ten, no. So here's the real timeline — what each stage looks like, and what actually settles a sore, grumpy baby tonight.
At a glance
- First tooth: typically 6 months (normal range 4–12 months).
- Order is usually bottom middle → top middle → the ones either side → first molars → canines → back molars.
- All 20 milk teeth are usually in by age 2.5–3.
- A rough rule: babies have about as many teeth as their age in months, minus six — but it's only a rough guide.
- Late teething alone (no tooth by 12 months) is common and rarely a problem — mention it at a check-up, don't panic.
One thing before we go tooth by tooth: teething is a milestone, not a medical event. It sits inside the bigger picture of your baby's early oral care, which we cover end to end in our complete guide to baby oral care. This article stays on just the timeline — the part parents lie awake Googling.
When does the first tooth come in?
For most babies, the first tooth pushes through at around 6 months. But "around 6 months" hides a wide, totally normal range: anywhere from 4 to 12 months. I've seen a baby born with a tooth already — a natal tooth, rare but harmless in most cases — and I've seen perfectly healthy one-year-olds with bare gums who then got four teeth in a single month.
The first to show are almost always the two bottom front teeth, the lower central incisors. Usually you feel them before you see them — run a clean finger along the lower gum and there's a hard little ridge. For what those first days look like, and how to care for a brand-new tooth, we've written a full guide on what to expect with baby's first tooth.
The full baby teething timeline, tooth by tooth
Milk teeth — also called primary or deciduous teeth — come in a fairly predictable sequence. The timing swings a lot from baby to baby. The order holds steadier. Here's the typical pattern:
| Teeth | Which ones | Typical age |
|---|---|---|
| Lower central incisors | Bottom two front | 6–10 months |
| Upper central incisors | Top two front | 8–12 months |
| Upper lateral incisors | Either side of top front | 9–13 months |
| Lower lateral incisors | Either side of bottom front | 10–16 months |
| First molars | Back grinding teeth | 13–19 months |
| Canines | Pointy "fang" teeth | 16–22 months |
| Second molars | Very back teeth | 23–33 months |
Look closely at that table and a few patterns jump out. Teeth tend to arrive in pairs — the matching left and right tooth usually turn up within weeks of each other. The bottom teeth generally lead the top at each stage, with one quirky exception: the upper lateral incisors often beat the lower ones to it. And there's a real lull — once the first eight incisors are in, usually by 12–16 months, things go quiet before the first molars break through. That's the gap where parents decide teething is "over." It isn't. The molars are on their way.
By the time your child is around 3 years old, all 20 milk teeth — 10 top, 10 bottom — are usually in place: eight incisors, four canines, and eight molars.
Why doesn't my baby follow the "order"?
Plenty of parents get thrown by this, so I'll say it plainly: an out-of-order tooth is almost never a problem. A top tooth ahead of a bottom one, a canine sneaking in before a lateral incisor — the teeth still end up exactly where they belong. Genetics drives most of the variation. If you or your partner teethed late, chances are your baby will too.
What matters far more than the sequence is that the teeth arrive at all, and that you keep them clean from day one. A brand-new tooth can get a cavity. And milk teeth earn their keep — they hold space for the adult teeth and help your child chew and speak.
What are the real signs of teething?
Teething gets blamed for almost everything, so it helps to know what's genuinely down to it. Real teething signs are usually mild and stay local to the mouth:
- Heavy drooling (often weeks before a tooth shows)
- Wanting to bite and gnaw on everything — fingers, toys, your shoulder
- A red, swollen, tender patch of gum where a tooth is pushing through
- Being fussier or more clingy than usual, and broken sleep
- Slightly reduced appetite for a day or two
- A mild rise in temperature — but a true fever (over 38°C / 100.4°F) is not caused by teething
What can I do tonight to soothe my teething baby?
What you're after is cool, firm, gentle pressure on the sore gum. Here's what I'd reach for tonight, best and safest first:
- Rub the gum. Wash your hands, then press a clean finger firmly along the sore ridge for a minute or two. Counter-pressure genuinely helps — plenty of babies stop crying the moment you do it.
- Chill a teether. Put a solid silicone teething ring in the fridge, not the freezer — rock-hard is too much and can bruise the gum. A clean, damp washcloth chilled in the fridge does the same job for nothing.
- Offer something cold and safe to chew. For babies already on solids, a katori of chilled (not frozen) cucumber sticks or a mesh feeder can help — always with you watching, never propped up alone.
- Wipe the drool. Constant drool irritates the chin, cheeks and neck folds. Pat — don't rub — dry through the day, and smooth on a plain, fragrance-free moisturiser to protect that skin.
- Keep the bedtime routine steady. A calm, warm bath and the usual wind-down settles a fractious baby even when the gums ache.
And a few things to avoid. Skip amber teething necklaces — a strangulation and choking risk with no proven benefit. Skip teething gels with benzocaine or lignocaine unless a doctor prescribes them, whatever the chemist suggests. Skip honey and sugary rusks on a sore gum. And don't default to medicine — if your baby is truly in pain, ask your paediatrician about the right paracetamol dose for their weight rather than guessing.
When the first tooth comes, start cleaning it
This is the part parents skip, and it's the part I care about most as a dentist. The day that first tooth shows, it needs cleaning — twice a day. A soft baby toothbrush or a clean finger, a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste, morning and before bed. Before any teeth arrive, wiping the gums with a clean, damp cloth keeps the mouth fresh and gets your baby used to the routine; we walk through that in our guide to cleaning baby gums before the first tooth.
When to see a dentist
Most teething needs no professional help at all. But book a visit if:
- No teeth have appeared by 15–18 months — usually still normal, but worth a check to rule out anything unusual.
- You spot white, brown or pitted patches on a new tooth — early signs of decay.
- A tooth comes in badly discoloured, or the gums bleed easily and often.
- Your baby seems in significant, persistent pain that soothing doesn't touch.
As a rule, your child should see a dentist by their first birthday, or within six months of that first tooth — whichever comes first. Feels too early? It isn't, and we explain exactly why in our piece on when your baby's first dental visit should be.
So here's what to sleep on: teething is a passing phase your baby is built to get through. The timeline is a guide, not a test. Some babies race it, some take their own sweet time, and both land on the same healthy set of 20 little teeth. Your job isn't to hurry it along — it's to soothe the sore nights and keep every new tooth clean from the moment it arrives.
In summary
- Most babies get their first tooth around 6 months and a full set of 20 by age 2.5–3.
- Teeth usually arrive in pairs, bottom before top, front to back — but out-of-order is normal.
- Real teething signs are drooling, gum-biting and fussiness; high fever and diarrhoea are not.
- Soothe tonight with a clean finger rubbed on the gum and a fridge-chilled teether or washcloth.
- Clean each tooth twice daily from the day it appears, and see a dentist by the first birthday.
Frequently asked questions
Which teeth come in first in babies?
The two bottom front teeth — the lower central incisors — almost always come first, usually around 6 months of age. They're followed by the two top front teeth, then the teeth on either side of the front ones. Teeth generally arrive in pairs, with bottom teeth leading the matching top teeth at most stages.
At what age do babies get all their teeth?
Most children have their full set of 20 milk teeth by about 2.5 to 3 years of age. The teeth arrive in stages from around 6 months, with a natural pause after the front eight incisors are in before the first molars break through at 13–19 months. The very back second molars are last, often around 2 to 2.5 years.
Is it normal for my baby's teeth to come in out of order?
Yes, and it's rarely anything to worry about. While there's a typical sequence, plenty of healthy babies get teeth in a slightly different order — a top tooth before a bottom one, or a canine before a lateral incisor. Genetics drive most of the variation. The teeth still end up in the right positions. What matters more is keeping each new tooth clean.
Can teething cause a fever?
Teething can cause a slight rise in temperature, but it does not cause a true fever above 38°C (100.4°F). It also doesn't cause diarrhoea, vomiting, or a cough. If your baby has these symptoms, look for a separate cause — babies mouth everything while teething and pick up infections easily. See a paediatrician if a real fever or these symptoms persist.
My baby is 12 months old with no teeth. Should I worry?
Almost certainly not. A first tooth anywhere from 4 to 12 months is normal, and some babies simply teethe later, often for genetic reasons. Late teething alone, with no other concerns, rarely signals a problem. If no teeth have appeared by 15–18 months, mention it at a check-up so a dentist can take a look — but it's usually just your baby's own pace.
