When Do Babies Start Teething? (And How to Actually Survive It)
When do babies start teething? Most parents expect it around 6 months — but it can hit as early as 3 months or as late as 12. If your baby is suddenly drooling everywhere and chewing on everything in sight, here’s what’s actually going on.
The Real Teething Timeline
Most babies get their first tooth somewhere between 4 and 7 months. But the range is wide — some babies cut their first tooth at 3 months, others not until after their first birthday. Both are completely normal.
The typical order goes like this:
- 4–7 months: Bottom front teeth (lower central incisors)
- 8–12 months: Top front teeth (upper central incisors)
- 9–16 months: Top and bottom lateral incisors
- 13–19 months: First molars
- 16–23 months: Canines
- 23–31 months: Second molars
Most kids have a full set of 20 baby teeth by age 3.
Signs Your Baby Is Teething
The classics:
- Excessive drooling
- Chewing on everything — hands, toys, your shoulder
- Swollen, tender gums
- Irritability and fussiness, especially at night
- Mild temperature (not a fever — teething doesn’t cause high fevers, despite what you may have heard)
What teething doesn’t cause: high fever, diarrhoea, or serious illness. If your baby has those symptoms, it’s worth checking with your doctor — don’t just chalk it up to teething.
What Actually Helps
Cold teething rings — chilled (not frozen) teething rings are genuinely effective. The cold reduces inflammation and numbs the gums temporarily. Keep one in the fridge, not the freezer — frozen rings can be too hard and damage gum tissue.
Gentle gum massage — clean finger, gentle pressure on the sore spot. Many babies find this soothing, at least for a few minutes.
Teething biscuits and cold food — for babies who’ve started solids, cold cucumber sticks or chilled fruit in a mesh feeder can help. Just supervise carefully.
What doesn’t work (or isn’t safe): Teething gels containing benzocaine are no longer recommended for babies — the FDA has warned against them. Amber teething necklaces are also a choking and strangulation hazard — skip them entirely regardless of what anyone tells you.
Teething and Breastfeeding
Here’s the question nobody warns you about — what happens when your teething baby bites while feeding?
It happens. Usually it’s a reflex rather than intentional, and most babies can be taught not to bite with consistent, calm responses. When it happens, unlatch immediately, say a firm “no”, and try again. Most babies figure it out within a week or two.
If biting becomes a persistent problem, it’s worth speaking to a lactation consultant.
When to See a Doctor
- No teeth by 18 months — worth mentioning to your paediatrician
- High fever alongside teething symptoms — this isn’t teething, get it checked
- Gums look infected or very swollen beyond normal tenderness
Teething is one of those parenting experiences that’s simultaneously completely normal and completely exhausting. It ends. Every single baby gets through it — and so will you.