When your child's teeth come through: the full timeline

Some babies start at around 4 to 5 months, and some not until after their first birthday. In the end there are 20 baby teeth: 10 on top and 10 on the bottom.

Every child has their own timing, and a few months either side of the chart, up to about a year, is usually normal.

The order tells you more than the date. If the teeth are coming in the right order, just a little late, that is usually your child's own timing. And notice that the first molars come in before the canines, so the gap that sits between them for a while is not a missing tooth: that is where the canine goes, and it is on its way.

Baby teeth usually start falling out at around 6 to 7, starting at the bottom front, and the swap is mostly done by about 12. Usually the tooth that came in first is the first to fall out. In the end there are 28 adult teeth, or 32 with the wisdom teeth, if they come through.

Every child has their own timing, and a few months either side of the chart, up to about a year, is usually normal.

Between about 9 and 10, many children go through a quieter spell, and most canines and molars change over between about 10 and 12. And keep an eye on that first adult molar: it comes in at around 6 to 7, behind the last baby molar, without anything falling out first, so many parents take it for a baby tooth. It is permanent, and nothing else will grow in its place. What is normal with wobbly teeth and falling out, and when it is worth a check: Baby teeth: when to worry, and when not to.

Teething shows in the mouth and the mood, not in the whole body. And it usually lasts a few days around the time the tooth breaks through, a little before and a little after. These are the normal signs:

If they won't drink, their nappies are drier than usual, or they're unusually drowsy or floppy: go to the nearest hospital emergency department now. If your baby is under 3 months and has any fever: go to the nearest hospital emergency department now, not an appointment. If they have a seizure: call an ambulance on 911.

What eases sore gums is pressure and cold. The rest is cuddles and patience.

1. 1A chilled teether, not a frozen one

   Keep it in the fridge, not the freezer. A frozen one turns hard and can hurt their gums. And make it a single piece held in the hand, not something hung around the neck.

2. 2Rub their gums with a clean finger

   Wash your hands, then rub their gums with gentle pressure for a minute or two, or use a clean piece of gauze dampened with cold water.

3. 3Wipe the drool away as you go

   With a soft cloth, so the skin around the mouth and neck does not get red and sore.

4. 4Keep bedtime on its routine

   The same time and the same steps every night, with a wipe of the gums before sleep. And if they wake, a cuddle and calm first.

5. 5If nothing settles them

   Ask a pharmacist or a doctor: they decide whether your child needs a pain reliever suited to their age and weight. Never give anything from an adult's medicine.

And what not to do

• No numbing teething gel on the gums at home. It is not safe for babies and young children.
• No teething necklaces or bracelets around the neck, wrist or ankle, whatever they are made of: they are a strangulation and choking risk, and a bead can come loose and be breathed in or swallowed.
• Nothing frozen hard, and no ice straight on the gums.
• No honey or sugar on a dummy or teether. Sugar harms a tooth from the moment it appears, and honey is not given before a child's first birthday.
• No tablet held against the gums, and nothing rubbed on them that a doctor has not prescribed.

Most delays are normal, and simply your child's own timing. But some situations are worth a check rather than a wait:

• Worth a checkAround 18 months old, and not a single tooth yet.A check, with an x-ray if needed, shows whether the teeth are there under the gum and on their way.
• Worth a checkAn adult tooth has come in on one side, and its partner on the other side still has not, about six months later.A little difference between the two sides is normal; a big one needs a look.
• Worth a checkTeeth coming in very differently from the chart above.In other words, a tooth arriving well before its turn, like the upper canine coming in while the baby molars beside it have not been replaced yet.
• Worth a checkA baby born with a tooth, or one that appears in the first month.It happens, and it needs an early look, because the tooth is sometimes loose or gets in the way of feeding.

In a small number of cases, a very long delay is linked to a child's growth or general health. A tooth that is missing altogether is usually inherited, not a sign of illness. Either way, an x-ray shows what is under the gum, and the paediatrician becomes part of the picture if needed.

1. 1
   Write down the date of the first tooth

   And when each one after it came through, and in what order, even if it is just a photo on your phone. Those small details save a lot of time at the check.

2. 2
   Brush from the very first tooth

   Before any teeth come through: wipe the gums with clean gauze after feeds. From the first tooth: a small soft brush twice a day, with a smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice.

3. 3
   No bottle of milk or juice at bedtime

   Whatever sits on the teeth all night decays them while they are still new. And juice isn't for babies under one at all. If your child falls asleep on a bottle, make it water, and if they are under six months, ask your paediatrician before giving water. The details: Bottle decay: how to protect your child's teeth.

4. 4
   An early first visit

   Within six months of the first tooth, or before the first birthday, whichever comes first. Not to treat anything, but to see the teeth as they come through.