Most 8-month-olds have between zero and four teeth, with two being the most common number. The first baby teeth to appear are typically the two lower front teeth, followed by the two upper front teeth. But the range of normal is wide, and some perfectly healthy babies won’t cut their first tooth until closer to their first birthday.
What’s Typical at 8 Months
Baby teeth generally start erupting around 6 months of age, and the process follows a fairly predictable pattern. The lower central incisors (the two bottom front teeth) come in first, usually between 6 and 10 months. The upper central incisors (the two top front teeth) tend to follow shortly after, typically between 8 and 12 months.
So at 8 months, the most likely scenario is that your baby has two bottom front teeth already through the gums, and may be working on the two upper front teeth. Some babies are ahead of this schedule with three or four visible teeth. Others are behind it with none at all. All of these situations fall within the normal range.
Why Some 8-Month-Olds Have No Teeth
Babies develop teeth between 6 and 12 months, and some won’t have any teeth by their first birthday. This variability is mostly genetic. If you or your partner were late teethers, your baby likely will be too. Premature birth can also shift the timeline, since tooth development tracks more closely with gestational age than calendar age.
Unless your child has no teeth by around 18 months, there’s generally no reason for concern. The 20 primary teeth are already formed beneath the gums at birth. They just surface on their own schedule.
The Full Eruption Timeline
All 20 baby teeth typically come in by age 3, following a rough sequence:
- Lower central incisors (bottom front two): 6 to 10 months
- Upper central incisors (top front two): 8 to 12 months
- Upper lateral incisors (flanking the top front teeth): 9 to 13 months
- Lower lateral incisors (flanking the bottom front teeth): 10 to 16 months
- First molars: 13 to 19 months
- Canines (the pointed teeth): 16 to 23 months
- Second molars: 23 to 33 months
These windows overlap, which is why some babies seem to get several teeth at once. It’s also why two 8-month-olds can look very different when they smile and both be perfectly on track.
Teething Symptoms vs. Illness
Around 8 months, teething is often blamed for fussiness, drooling, and mild gum irritation, and those connections are legitimate. But teething gets credited with a lot of symptoms it doesn’t actually cause, including high fevers, diarrhea, and rashes.
The timing creates a misleading overlap. Babies start losing the immune protection they received from their mother right around the same age teeth begin erupting. That means they become more vulnerable to common infections at the exact moment teething begins, making it easy to assume the teeth are responsible for symptoms that are actually caused by a virus. A low-grade temperature (under 100.4°F) can accompany teething, but anything higher likely has a separate cause worth investigating.
Teething Remedies to Avoid
A chilled (not frozen) teething ring or a clean wet washcloth to chew on are the safest ways to relieve gum discomfort. Gently rubbing the gums with a clean finger can also help.
The FDA has issued warnings against homeopathic teething tablets, particularly those containing belladonna. Testing revealed that some products from major brands contained dangerously inconsistent levels of toxic compounds, far exceeding what their labels stated. These products should not be used. Numbing gels containing benzocaine are also discouraged for children under two, as they carry a risk of a rare but serious blood condition. Amber teething necklaces pose choking and strangulation hazards with no proven benefit.
Caring for Those First Teeth
As soon as the first tooth breaks through, it needs cleaning. Use a soft-bristled infant toothbrush with a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste, twice a day. The best times are after breakfast and before bed. Before any teeth appear, you can wipe the gums with a damp cloth after feedings to keep bacteria in check.
Your baby’s first dental visit should happen within six months of the first tooth appearing, and no later than 12 months of age. This is the recommendation from both the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association. That first visit is brief and mostly about checking development, but it also establishes a baseline and gives you a chance to ask questions about fluoride, pacifier use, and bottle habits that affect teeth.