Baby teeth development
Babies are born with a full set of 20 baby teeth hidden in their gums – 10 up the top and 10 down the bottom. As each baby tooth gets to the surface of the gum, the gum opens up to show the tooth.
For most babies, teeth start to appear between 6 and 10 months. But in some children, teeth appear as early as 3 months. In others, they don’t arrive until around 12 months. A very small number of children are born with 1-2 teeth. Most children have their full set of baby teeth by 3 years of age.
Baby teeth can arrive in any order, but the central bottom teeth often come through first.
Dental care for baby teeth
As soon as the first tooth appears, clean teeth carefully using a soft infant toothbrush designed for children under 2 years. If your newborn baby doesn’t like the toothbrush in their mouth, you can use a clean, damp face washer or gauze.
Brush with water only at least twice a day, particularly after the first and last feeds. Don’t use toothpaste at this age, unless recommended by your dentist. Find out how to brush baby teeth in dental care for babies.
It’s important to see your dentist if your baby is born with teeth or when your baby’s first tooth comes through. You can visit your state or territory health department website or Teeth.org.au – Government dental care to find out about public dental services near you. You can also search online to find private dental services near you.
Preventing early tooth decay
Baby teeth are at risk of decay as soon as they come through. Tooth decay prevention starts early with simple precautions.
Give your newborn baby only breastmilk or formula until you introduce solids at 4-6 months.
Don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle. This can lead to tooth decay because the lactose in the milk promotes growth of the bacteria that cause tooth decay. And when your baby is asleep, there’s less saliva in their mouth to protect their teeth from this. Also note that putting your baby to sleep with a bottle is a choking risk.
If your baby likes a dummy, don’t dip it into food, sugar or liquids like honey. And don’t clean your baby’s dummy by putting it in your mouth. Make sure to wash and sterilise it instead.
Bumps on newborn gums: Bohn’s nodules, Epstein pearls and natal teeth
Sometimes babies get small bumps on their gums. These bumps might be Bohn’s nodules or Epstein pearls.
Bohn’s nodules or Epstein pearls:
- are usually 1-3 mm wide
- are firm
- are white, grey or yellow
- can appear as individual bumps or in clusters
- are made of a protein called keratin.
If your baby has these bumps on their gums, they can still feed well and develop healthy teeth. Bohn’s nodules or Epstein pearls are painless and go away on their own, usually within the first few months after birth.
Occasionally, bumps on newborn gums might be natal teeth, which are teeth that your baby was born with. Natal teeth might need treatment.
If you see bumps on your baby’s gums, it’s always best to see your dentist, GP or paediatrician.