What Is a Teething Age?

Many new parents become worried when their 8-month-old baby hasn’t shown any signs of teething yet. Seeing their neighbor’s 5-month-old child showing a couple of teeth with each smile worries them the more. This would often prompt them to consult with their pediatrician, hoping to get reassurance that there’s nothing wrong with their child.

And as most parents find, there is no exact teething age for babies. Teething age is when babies start to show signs of having their first tooth. Some babies will start showing their first tooth as early as 4 months old, others as late as 2 years old. The range of age therefore, for parents to watch out for teething signs is between 4 months old and 1 year old. One of the lower front teeth first appear, then the one beside it. The four upper teeth follow and by the age of 2 to 3 years old, all 20 primary teeth will be appreciated with each smile of the child.

This could also be attributed to genes. If any one of the parents started having his or her first tooth at an early age, the probability of their children doing the same is high. Teething in babies is a normal event and parents should not be worried about it. And it is not associated with any intelligence quotient later on in life.

What parents should prepare for during this teething age range is to watch out for these signs as they could prove uncomfortable for their baby. They should read about it or ask their pediatrician about remedies to lessen the pain and soreness around the gums of their babies.

They should watch out for irritability, restlessness, wakefulness at night, refusal to feed, frequent crying, ear pulling and drooling as these are the most common signs of teething. The development of infections like diarrhea, fever, runny nose or of excessive ear pulling should be consulted with the pediatrician so babies could be evaluated and given proper care and management.