When Do Baby Teeth Come In?

There are many symptoms that parents can look for to identify whether their baby has begun to teeth. These symptoms include a low-grade fever, runny nose, diarrhea and irritability. Your baby may also begin to drool, which can result in a rash on the baby's chin. If the baby is experiencing discomfort, he or she might also begin to have trouble sleeping at night. Both of my daughters were obsessed with chewing on anything they could get their hands on when they were teething, so you may want to watch out for that as well.

According to Dr. Greene, the average age for a baby to get a first tooth is between five and seven months of age. It is not uncommon, however, for a baby to get a tooth anywhere from the first month of life to a year and half of age. In some rare occasions, babies are born with baby teeth, while others may not get their teeth until several years down the road. All babies develop at their own speed, so don't get upset if your baby is taking a little longer than other babies in your family. My oldest daughter got her first tooth when she turned five months old. Some of my nieces and nephews were much later.

The New Parents Guide states that there are a total of 20 baby teeth that will erupt over the first three years of your little one's life. The bottom two incisors come in first, followed by the top two incisors. Then four more incisors will poke through the gums next to the four your baby already has. After that, your baby will get his or her first molars, followed by a set of canine teeth. The baby teeth are completed once the second set of molars appears.

When your baby begins to grow a set of teeth, it will most likely cause discomfort. There are a few things you can do to ease your baby's pain. You can rub your pointer finger over the baby's gums, applying just a little bit of pressure. You can give your baby a teething ring to chew on. I use to put my daughter's teething rings in the freezer before giving it to her. This would numb the area when she began to chew. You can also rub an ice chip over the gum where you see the tooth appearing.

Warning:
Be careful if you choose to use any type of baby numbing product. These have been known to cause babies to drown in their own saliva.

References:
Dr. Greene: Baby Teeth
The New Parents Guide: Is My Baby Teething?