FCS2300

Teething: Symptoms and Remedies

1
Nila Lenna and Eboni J. Baugh
2
A child's first tooth is a big developmental
milestone. Parents are excited about their child's first
tooth, but may worry about what to expect and
amount of pain the child may experience. The process
of teething can be painful for both the child and the
parent.
Figure 1. Gabriel's First Tooth Credits: Eric A. Peacock
Every child is born with all 20 of their baby teeth
hidden beneath the surface of their gums. For most
children, the first tooth emerges at 57 months,
although it can occur earlier or later depending on
factors such as race and nutrition:
African American children's teeth may emerge
as early as four months, in comparison to their
Caucasian peers at 6 months.
Malnutrition usually delays the emergence of
teeth while overweight and obese children
experience teething earlier.
Breastfeeding seems to encourage proper
development of teeth and may decrease chances
for subsequent tooth decay.
In very rare situations, some children are born
with a visible tooth. The child's bottom two teeth, or
central incisors, usually break through the gums first,
followed by the top two teeth. Most children will have
all of their primary teeth by their third birthday and
begin to get their adult teeth around age six. Figure 2
can be used as a guide to tooth arrival.
Symptoms of Teething
Although no cluster of symptoms can reliably
predict the emergence of a tooth, there are some
common symptoms that are experienced by most
babies:
Drooling
1. This document is FCS2300, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First published: September 2009. Visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. Eboni J. Baugh, assistant professor, and Nila Lenna, student; Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences; Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences; University of Florida; Gainesville 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and
other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.
Chancy, Interim Dean
2

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Teething: Symptoms and Remedies
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4 Teething: Symptoms and Remedies
Table 1. Online Resources
Who What Where
American
Academy of
Pediatrics
Protecting All Children's Teeth
(PACT): A Pediatric Oral
Health Training Program
http://www.aap.org/commpeds/dochs/oralhealth/pact/ch2_sect5.cfm
American
Dental
Association
Teething http://www.ada.org/public/topics/teething.asp
Nemours
Foundation
Teething Tots http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/common/teething.html