Teething timeline: what's normal and what helps (0–18 months)
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Somewhere around the four-month mark, many parents meet a new version of their baby: drooly, cranky, and determined to chew the world. Welcome to teething. Here's a rough timeline of what to expect, what's normal, and what actually helps sore gums.
The rough timeline
Every bub runs their own schedule — some cut a tooth at 4 months, others sail past their first birthday gummy as ever. Both are normal. As a loose guide:
- 3–6 months: drooling ramps up and everything goes in the mouth — often weeks or months before any tooth appears
- 6–10 months: the bottom front teeth (central incisors) usually arrive first, followed by the top front pair
- 9–13 months: the side incisors join in
- 12–18 months: first molars — bigger teeth, often bigger feelings
- 16–23 months: canines fill the gaps, with second molars rounding things out towards age three
What's normal
Drooling (so much drooling), red or swollen gums, flushed cheeks, gnawing on hands and toys, extra clinginess, disrupted sleep around the days a tooth breaks through, and mild fussiness. Symptoms often come and go in short bursts rather than lasting weeks on end.
What's NOT just teething
High fever, diarrhoea, rashes beyond a mild chin rash, refusing feeds entirely, or a genuinely unwell bub — these aren't teething and deserve a proper check with your GP or child health nurse. Teething gets blamed for a lot; don't let it mask something else.
What actually helps
Counter-pressure
Chewing on something firm-but-yielding gives sore gums the counter-pressure they crave. That's exactly what silicone teethers are for. Our Little Beaver glove teether is our most-loved for a simple reason: it straps over bub's hand, so it can't be dropped, thrown or lost under the pram at the shops — relief stays exactly where it's needed.
Cold (not frozen)
Chill a silicone teether in the fridge for extra soothing. Skip the freezer for teethers going straight in the mouth — rock-hard frozen surfaces can hurt little gums.
Texture
Different bumps and ridges reach different spots. A textured ring teether or ball teether lets bub steer the pressure to exactly the sore bit — they're surprisingly precise about it.
A dry chin and lots of cuddles
Gently wipe drool to prevent chin rash, offer extra comfort, and accept that some days the couch cuddle is the treatment plan.
A word on what to avoid
Skip amber necklaces (a strangulation and choking risk that Australian product safety bodies have warned about), teething gels containing benzocaine, and anything that could break into small pieces. Whatever goes in bub's mouth should be one solid piece of food-grade material — like the 100% food-grade silicone in our teething range, free from BPA, PVC, lead and phthalates.
First tooth care
Once that first tooth appears, wipe it daily — a soft fingertip toothbrush makes it a gentle game rather than a wrestle.
This article is general information only and isn't medical advice. Every bub is different — for guidance on your child, chat with your GP, paediatrician or child health nurse.
Teething and sleep (the honest version)
The nights right before a tooth cuts through are often the roughest — gums are most inflamed just before the tooth breaks the surface. Extra night wakes for a few days around a new tooth are normal and temporary. Keep bedtime routines steady, offer comfort, and resist the urge to overhaul your whole sleep setup over what's probably a 3–4 day blip. If disrupted sleep drags on for weeks, it's likely not teething — worth a check-in with your child health nurse.
When should bub first see a dentist?
Australian dental associations recommend a first dental visit when the first tooth appears, or by the first birthday — whichever comes first. It's less about treatment and more about getting bub comfortable in the chair and giving you personalised advice. Many public dental services see young children free of charge, and some private clinics offer no-cost first visits for bubs.
Building the tooth-care habit
From the first tooth: twice-daily gentle cleaning, water only (no toothpaste needed before 18 months for most children, per Australian guidelines — then a low-fluoride children's toothpaste). Make it silly, make it short, make it daily. A soft fingertip toothbrush turns it into a game now, which pays off enormously when the molars arrive.
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