The first teeth to appear at around six months of age are usually the two lower central incisors – or ‘cutting teeth’. These are followed by the two upper central incisors. Once the teeth start to come through, they appear at the rate of around one a month. So by his first birthday, your baby may have six teeth.
The average time and usual order of appearance is
- Four central incisors (cutters) start appearing at around 6-7 months
- Four more side incisors appear at around 8 months
- Four back molars (chewing teeth) appear at between 10-14 months
- Four canines (pointed teeth) appear at around 16-20 months.
- Four more back molars appear at between 24-30 months.
Early and late teethers
The order of appearance is an average only. It’s worth remembering that babies do vary. Some children have no teeth at a year and a very few are born with a tooth or two. Unlike body growth, the appearance of your baby’s first teeth is not influenced by how well he eats or how healthy he is – teeth appear when they are ready.
