Tooth Timeline

If you recently just had a child…congrats! There’s no greater feeling that starting a brand new family or adding another member to it! If you had your second or third (or fifth or sixth…we can keep going) then you might already know what to expect when it comes to your little one’s teeth.

However, for the new parents out there, here is a great timeline to let you know what to expect when it comes to teething and tooth loss.

Birth to 7th Months
Your child begins teething. It’s a painful process for them, so you might notice them being a little fussy. If their gums are red and swollen, it means those first few teeth are ready to erupt. More than likely, it’ll be the bottom two teeth (lower central incisors) first. They’ll be the first ones to show, and they usually come up at the same time.

8 to 12 Months
The next pair to come in will be the top middle teeth (the upper central incisors). Don’t be alarmed if they happen to be reversed. There’s no harm in it, nor does it mean there are developmental issues. Babies’ teeth are somewhat unpredictable. We only know what to expect based off the law of averages. Usually the bottom ones come in first, followed by the top two, and more times than not, girls’ teeth protrude sooner than boys’ teeth.

12 to 16 Months
After the first 4 front teeth come in, the next to follow are the top and bottom teeth that sit directly next to the upper and lower incisors. These teeth are called the lateral incisors. It’s also interesting to note that these teeth usually come in pairs. They know to grow at the same time and when to emerge from the gums at the same time. It helps your little one chew more effective. If they favor one side as a child, it could disrupt the way they chew or even their speech. It’s a pretty incredible feat that keeps our bodies aligned down to the smallest detail such as chewing properly.

16 to 19 Months
When your baby is about a year and half, his or her molars should be coming into place. You’ll notice there is still a gap between their teeth. This is to make room for their canines to come in. Once the molars begin to fall into place, your child’s ability to chew various types of foods should increase greatly. No more Cheerios for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

20 to 24 Months
Usually before a child’s second birthday, their canine teeth have emerged. This should fill the gap between the lateral incisor and your baby’s first molar. Their smile should be looking complete!

24 to 33 Months
By the time your child is close to their third birthday, they should have an almost complete smile. Their second molars should be coming in on the top and bottom. Those are the last 4 baby teeth to emerge from their gums.

In a perfect world…
this is the exact timelines your child’s teeth should follow. But we know the world is never perfect. Don’t be concerned if your child is falling behind on the timeline or one set of teeth came in before another set. It’s perfectly natural to be unnatural!

Losing Baby Teeth
Starting around the age of 6, your child should begin to lose their baby teeth. The order that they lose their teeth should follow the order that their teeth erupted, but that does not have to be the case. If there’s one thing we know about kids it’s that they’re completely unpredictable. Permanent teeth and baby teeth can exist at the same time. It may cause them to have a bit of a crooked smile, but by age 12 they should have a full set of permanent teeth with their wisdom teeth ready to emerge around their 17th or 18th birthday. That makes for a full set of 28 total teeth!