Teething Talk: What to Expect and How to Ease the Discomfort

You’ve probably heard horror stories about teething. Now it’s time to learn the truth.

Though it results in baby’s first pearly white, teething is one of those milestones that many parents would just assume forget. Cutting teeth can be considerably uncomfortable for babies, who howl and drool for weeks as their first few teeth begin to work their way through the gums. Thankfully not all teething stories are as nightmarish: Some babies get their teeth without as much as a whimper or whine. How babies react to teething varies dramatically from child to child.

When It Starts

Teething can begin as early as 4 months, but most babies will get their first tooth between 6 and 8 months. Teeth often arrive in pairs, with the bottom front two showing up first, followed by the top two. Most babies have eight teeth by their first birthday. The last baby teeth to come in are the back molars, which generally poke through before your child turns 3, giving your little one a precious smile with 20 tiny choppers. These baby teeth won’t fall out until your child’s permanent teeth are ready to come in, usually around age 6 or 7. By then your child will become quite familiar with visits from the Tooth Fairy.

What to Expect

Months before the first tooth appears, your baby will probably start to drool more than usual and become fussy and irritable. Infants produce more saliva during the early stages of teething because their gums are irritated and swollen, and they haven’t yet learned to swallow often. Constant crying, which intensifies at night when baby is lying down, is another unfortunate symptom of teething.