Baby teething symptoms

When it comes to teething, all babies are different. But your baby will probably get their first tooth some time during their first year.

Find out how to spot when your baby is teething and what order your baby's teeth are likely to appear in.

When do babies start teething?

Most babies start teething at around 6 months, but others start teething before they are 4 months old and some after 12 months. Some babies are even born with their first teeth.

Teething symptoms

Baby teeth sometimes emerge with no pain or discomfort, or only mild symptoms that last a few days.

At other times, you may notice:

their gum is sore and red where the tooth is coming through
their temperature is slightly raised but less than 38C
they have 1 flushed cheek
they have a rash on their face
they're rubbing their ear
they're dribbling more than usual
they're gnawing and chewing on things a lot
they're more fretful than usual
they're not sleeping very well

Read tips on how to help your teething baby.

Some people think that teething causes symptoms such as diarrhoea, but there's no evidence to support this.

You know your baby best. Get medical advice if they have any symptoms that are causing you concern. You can call NHS 111 or contact a GP.

What order do baby teeth appear in?

Here's a rough guide to how babies' teeth usually emerge:

central incisors (front teeth) – these are usually the first to come through, usually at around 6 months
lateral incisors (either side of the front teeth) – around  8 months
first molars (back teeth) – these come through at around 12 months
canines (pointed teeth between the lateral incisors and the first molars) – around 18 months
second molars – around 24 months

Bottom teeth often emerge before the matching upper teeth – for example, the bottom front teeth will usually start to come through before the top front teeth.

Most children will have all their milk teeth by the time they are 2 to 3 years old.