Hello dr. my baby girl is 9 months old now. But she doesn't have started teething yet. Is it normal? what may be the reason for it.

Question

Accepted Answer

For most babies, teething typically starts between 6 and 12 months.And, babies have their set of primary teeth by the age of three.

Babies get their teeth in pairs. The lower front teeth come first, and the upper front teeth usually erupt a couple of months later. Then appear the lower and upper lateral teeth, followed by first molars, canines, and second molars. So, by three years of age, your baby would have a set of 20 primary teeth.

This is the normal growth schedule of teeth but it is not necessary for all the babies to teeth as per the schedule. Some may have them earlier while some may have later.

The average age of teething is around six months. Teething before six months is considered early teething. If the baby is not teething until 13 months, then it is considered delayed teething.

Don’t worry if your baby’s teething is delayed; it varies from one child to another. As long as your baby’s hair, skin, and bone growth are normal, there is nothing to worry about. Delayed teething doesn’t indicate any problem in the overall development of your baby.

Symptoms:

Babies turn fussy because due to soreness and swelling when the tooth cuts through the gums. The symptoms appear three to six days before the tooth erupts and stop once the tip of the tooth comes out of the gums.

Teething is an easy and quick process for some babies, but for some, it can be slow and painful. The typical signs and symptoms of teething are:

Red and swollen gums, which are bruised and sore.

Excessive drooling as the baby keeps every object in their mouth. The drooling can last up to several weeks until a tooth erupts.

Rubbing of the ear. The pain in the gums causes ear pain too, as gums and ears share the same neural pathways.

Excessive biting and chewing due to the pressure of the eruption of teeth through the gums. Babies bite and chew everything and anything to get relief from the pain.

Your baby’s sleep can be disturbed because of the lingering pain. Sore gums make your baby restless, so they tend to express that by being cranky and irritable.

Lack of interest in food or eating. The pressure of sucking or chewing food can cause more discomfort to the already aching gums; so babies lose appetite and sometimes reject food altogether.

Babies pull their cheeks due to the discomfort around the jawline and cheeks.There can be mild rashesaround the mouth, and on the chest due to excessive drooling.Sometimes teething is accompanied by mild fever.