Every growing smile has a story. We’re here to guide it.

Usually between six and ten months, starting with the two lower front teeth, though anywhere in that range is normal and some babies start earlier or later. All twenty baby teeth are typically in by around age three. Teething can cause sore gums, drooling, irritability and disturbed sleep. It does not cause a high fever, diarrhoea or a rash, and if your baby has those, something else is going on and they should be seen by a doctor.

Lower front two first, then the upper front two, then the four teeth either side of those, then the first molars at the back, then the canines, then the second molars last. The pattern is usually symmetrical, so teeth tend to arrive in matching pairs. Order matters more than exact timing: a tooth arriving a few months early or late is rarely a concern, but teeth arriving in an unusual sequence is worth mentioning at a visit.

Around age six, usually the lower front two, and in roughly the order they arrived. The process runs until about age twelve. Children who got their first teeth early tend to lose them early. If your child is well past seven and nothing has loosened, it is worth an x-ray to see whether the adult teeth are there and where they are.

Usually not. It is common enough to have a nickname, shark teeth, and it nearly always involves the lower front two. The adult tooth surfaces behind because the root of the baby tooth in front has not dissolved away yet. In most cases that baby tooth works loose within a few weeks and the one behind drifts forward on its own. Bring it in rather than assuming, because now and then the baby tooth needs a hand out of the way.

This is often a completely normal part of growing up. Permanent front teeth are naturally larger and wider than the baby teeth they replace. Because your child’s face and jaws are still developing, these new teeth may initially look oversized or out of proportion.

Children also go through a normal developmental phase known as the “Ugly Duckling Stage”, typically between ages 7 and 12. During this time, the upper front teeth may appear spaced apart, tilted, or slightly crooked as the permanent canines develop and erupt. As these teeth settle into position, many of these gaps and irregularities naturally improve without orthodontic treatment.

You may also notice small bumps along the edges of newly erupted adult teeth, called mamelons. These are normal and often wear down naturally over time.

Many of these changes are simply part of your child’s growing smile. Our pediatric dentists monitor dental development at regular checkups to help distinguish normal growth from concerns that may benefit from early orthodontic guidance.

They are the first permanent molars, and they arrive around age six at the very back, behind the baby teeth. Because no tooth falls out to make room, most parents never realise they have appeared and assume they are still baby teeth. They are not, and they have to last a lifetime. They are also the teeth most likely to develop cavities, because the deep grooves on their chewing surface are narrower than a toothbrush bristle. This is the single best moment to seal a tooth.

Usually the opposite. Gaps between baby teeth are a good sign, because they mean there is likely to be room for the much larger adult teeth arriving behind them. It is crowded baby teeth, not spaced ones, that more often point to a shortage of room later. Either way we measure it rather than guess, and tell you what we see.

Let your child wiggle it themselves and it will come out when it is ready, usually with very little blood and no drama. Pulling a tooth that is not ready hurts and can leave part of the root behind. If a tooth has been hanging on for weeks, is sore, or is stopping your child eating, we can take it out properly.