Most babies get their first tooth between 6 and 12 months of age, but some don’t see a tooth until after their first birthday. This wide range is completely normal. Pediatric guidelines suggest talking to your child’s doctor if no teeth have appeared by 9 months, not because something is necessarily wrong, but because it’s worth a quick check. Many late teethers are perfectly healthy, and the timing is often just inherited from their parents.
The Typical Teething Timeline
The first teeth to break through are usually the two bottom front teeth (the lower central incisors), followed by the two upper front teeth. From there, teeth continue to fill in outward: the lateral incisors next, then the first molars, canines, and finally the second molars in the back. The full set of 20 baby teeth is typically in place by age 2.5 to 3.
Girls tend to get their teeth slightly earlier than boys. But even within the same family, one child might sprout a tooth at 4 months while a sibling waits until 10 or 11 months. Both scenarios fall within the expected range. The order teeth come in matters more to dentists than the exact timing, and even that can vary.
Why Some Babies Teethe Late
The single biggest factor in late teething is genetics. If you or your partner were late teethers, your baby is more likely to follow the same pattern. This is the most common explanation, and in these cases, there’s nothing to fix. The teeth are forming normally beneath the gums and will come through on their own schedule.
Nutritional factors also play a role. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, and calcium provides the bone structure teeth need to push through. Deficiencies in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, or calcium can all slow the process. Babies who are breastfed exclusively past 6 months without supplemental vitamin D may be at slightly higher risk, since breast milk alone doesn’t provide enough of it.
Birth circumstances matter too. Research from Cambridge University Press found that a baby’s weight and length at birth, whether the mother smoked during pregnancy, and prenatal nutrition all influence when the first tooth arrives. Premature babies, especially those born before 30 weeks or weighing less than about 2.2 pounds at birth, tend to have the greatest lag in dental development. For preemies, doctors often use the adjusted age (counting from the due date, not the birth date) when evaluating milestones like teething.
When Late Teething Signals Something Else
In most cases, a baby who hasn’t teethed by 12 or even 13 months is just on the slower end of normal. But occasionally, significantly delayed teeth can be a sign of an underlying condition. Hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) is one of the more well-known causes, and it’s routinely screened for at birth in most countries. Certain rare genetic conditions, like cleidocranial dysplasia, can cause teeth to come in very late or in unusual patterns.
Chronic malnutrition and prolonged illness can slow overall development, including tooth eruption. If your baby’s teeth are delayed alongside other developmental milestones like sitting, crawling, or weight gain, that’s a more meaningful signal than late teeth alone. A pediatrician can sort out whether the delay is isolated to teeth (usually harmless) or part of a broader pattern that warrants evaluation.
What Late Teething Doesn’t Mean
Late teething doesn’t mean your child’s teeth will be weaker, more cavity-prone, or crooked. The timing of eruption has no connection to the quality of the teeth underneath. It also doesn’t predict anything about permanent teeth, which operate on their own independent timeline starting around age 6.
Some parents worry that late teething means slower cognitive development. There’s no evidence for this. Tooth eruption is a physical process driven largely by genetics and nutrition, not by brain development. A baby who walks and talks on schedule but doesn’t have teeth yet is developing normally.
Teething Symptoms to Expect
Whether teeth arrive at 6 months or 14 months, the signs are the same: increased drooling, chewing on objects, irritability, and sometimes swollen or tender gums. You may notice your baby rubbing their ears or cheeks on the side where a tooth is coming in.
One important distinction: teething does not cause a true fever. It can raise your baby’s body temperature slightly, but it won’t push past 100.4°F (38°C), which is the medical threshold for a fever. If your baby has a temperature above that, something else is going on, and it shouldn’t be dismissed as teething. A temperature above 104°F (40°C) needs emergency care regardless of age.
Caring for Teeth Whenever They Arrive
Start brushing as soon as the first tooth appears, using a soft-bristled infant toothbrush with a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste. Before teeth come in, you can wipe your baby’s gums with a clean, damp cloth after feedings to build the habit and keep bacteria in check.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends scheduling your child’s first dental visit by their first birthday or within six months of the first tooth, whichever comes first. If your baby still has no teeth by 12 months, a dental visit is still a good idea. The dentist can check the gums and take a look at whether teeth are developing normally below the surface, sometimes with a quick X-ray if there’s concern.
For babies who are still waiting on teeth, there’s no need to avoid age-appropriate solid foods. Gums are surprisingly strong, and babies can gum soft foods like bananas, avocado, and well-cooked vegetables without any teeth at all. In fact, the chewing motion may even help stimulate the gums and encourage teeth to break through.