Teething - Saint Marys,OH

All three of my children had no teeth until well after they were 1. My dentist told me that since my husband and I had no cavities that their teeth would probably come in later. They had no problem with eating food with no teeth. They have great teeth now. And they have lost their baby teeth much later than most of their friends. Hope this helps!

Hi J.!

I don't know much about teeth but I can tell you that I have a son that is 13 that did not get any teeth or even a sign of a toothe until he as at least 13 months old. He now has a beautiful set of teeth. His father was also a late "toother" and has the whitest straightest teeth I have ever seen on a person without braces and is known at work as "the one with the pretty teeth" when people come in. Also my son has never had a cavity and so I think there are a lot of good things about getting the teeth late, and frankly I wouldn't worry about people talking about others that have them - I just always said - oh his fathers didn't come in until he was almost a year and a half and that pretty much stopped the talk as he has such nice teeth. - A., The Avon Lady

My son just turned 11 months on Sunday and cut his first tooth last week. He just cut his second tooth today! We think he'll be cutting a top one within the next few days (it's so close!) If it does that will be 3 teeth in less than 2 weeks. So don't worry - he will get them eventually.

My daughter had the same problem as a baby. She did not get her first tooth until almost 13months. We took her to the dentist and he said the longer it took for her teeth to come in the healthier they would be. The worst case cinerio he gave us was they would have to slice her gums to let them com thru. This turned out not to be necessary. She is 18 now and has the most beautiful set of teeth. Never had a cavity or any other problems. If you are worried take him to a dentist just to be sure and ease your mind.

No worries!! My daughter didn't get her first tooth until she was 11.5 months and then within 2 weeks she got all 4 front ones! She had no teeth when I sent out her birthday invites (with her pict on them) and by the time I sent her thank you notes (2 weeks later, also with her pict) she had 4! So, don't let people scare you, each child will get them when they get them. Until then, enjoy those toothless little grins because you won't get those back after they start getting teeth in. My son was older when he had teeth come in also, he was about 10.5 months with the first one and also had 4 come in within a few weeks.
Enjoy the little guy!!

I wouldn't worry about it too much. My 2 year old got his first tooth a week after his first birthday. If you are still concerned, talk to your pediatrician.

I was concerned about the exact same thing. My son's teeth didn't start popping through until around 10 mos! For months prior I would blame any fussiness on his teething because I had no idea. Our pediatrician said that she has seen them as late as 16 mos. and that is considered normal. I hope this helps.

Hi J.,
Don't worry about those teeth, it's better if they don't get them as early. They will be stronger & healthier. All kids are different & your little guy will get teeth soon enough. My granddaughter was 10 mos. when she got her first tooth. She ia now 17 mos. and has a mouthful.

L.

I have heard that the longer it takes for the teeth to come in, the healthier that they are.

I just wanted to let you know that it is actually a very good thing for your son not to be getting teeth early. The longer it takes the teeth to come in, the stronger adult teeth he will end up having. I don't know why this is true, but it does seem to be that way. My first born had his first little bud tooth at 3 months then it was forever before the rest came in. The good news is that not only did he have no teething pain, he now has incredibly healthy teeth.

J., don't worry! about it, my son is 2 weeks short of his first b'day and his tooth just started to pop out, it looks like a tiny bit of gum, my mom always said that late teethers have a strong jaws, since he is developmently normal, this should not be a concern at all.

My son didn't get his first tooth until he was 11 months, and both of his lower ones came in at the same time. He's now 14 months old and still only has 4 teeth. It's all normal!

My son didn't get his first tooth until he was about 8 1/2 months old.....no worries! They say the later they come in the easier it is on them. Now he's 9 1/2 months old and he just had a top tooth break through yesterday, and he's been sleeping through the night and everything. First of all DO NOT listen to other moms/grandparents, etc. Your son will do things on his time. A woman I work with bragged all the time that her grandson was crawling at about 6 months and was shocked that Eli wasn't crawling yet. He didn't start crawling until last week and that's fine with me. Whatever you do don't compare your kid with other kids........and don't let people do it to you either. No kid is the same, and as long as he's healthy and happy, the rest is just details!

My daughter got her first teeth at 11 months and my son at 10 months. They say that the later they are, the stronger they are. I wouldn't worry about it.

Hi! My son did not get his first tooth until he was 13 months. He walked at exactly 9 months and had his first haircut at 10months because he had so much hair! He had a little friend at the time that was 2 weeks older than him. On my son's first birthday, his friend had almost no hair and could not walk without support...but, he had a full mouth of teeth. Standing next to my son, who could walk perfectly with a full head of hair...but, not one tooth. At that moment, I stopped worrying about when he was going to get teeth. Every child grows and develops at their own pace. My son is now almost 13. He has never had an issue with his teeth. He did not lose any teeth until the summer before his 2nd grade year......but they are all coming out (he lost one this week) and he is perfectly normal. If you are concerned, I would ask your pediatrician. But, you are not alone! :-)

From my experience, with my own kids and those of friends, your son is perfectly normal. Teeth arrive at a wide range of ages, just like walking or talking. My daughter got her first tooth at 7 1/2 months. But my son didn't get his first until a few days before his first birthday. It didn't effect his eating, either. He took to solid foods much better than did my daughter. And having just turned 2, he has a mouthful of teeth, like any other kid his age.

Hi J.
I have twin girls that are 7 1/2 months old and neither of them has any teeth yet. I was convinced around 6 months that they were going to come through on both of them any day because they had all the signs but still nothing. I'm not too worried. All babies are different. I'm sure it'll happen soon.

both my kids got their teeth around 11 1/2 months. they aren't behind in any way, it's just that teeth have no standard age for coming in. don't worry about it!!!!!!!!

While there are "norms" to follow...each kid is different. My son got his first tooth at five months. My daughter is now 8 months and still has a wonderfully toothless grin. Don't worry about it. Just enjoy your little munchkin!

Hi J.

My 2 year old was 9 months before he got his first tooth and got many more teeth not long after that. And we did use orajel too.

And my mom told me that I didn't get my first tooth until I was a year old!

I wouldn't worry!

J.,
My son turned one in April and he did not have one tooth at that time. He did get in first tooth not long after and now he is 16 months and has about 7. Don't worry, they will come in!!!! My son would eat just about anything too with only his gums!! Just be patient - they will all come in at once probably - so watch out for the runny nose and crankiness!!!!!! Have a great day!

A.

My oldest daughter didn't have teeth until she was a year old. She was kind of a late bloomer with her teeth even as an older child when she lost them. I wouldn't worry about it. People get ideas in their heads and don't think about what they are saying. I think he's fine.

Teething isn't even considered "delayed" until 13 months, though I've never personally seen a 13 month old without teeth : ) My daughter got her first tooth sometime in the 8th month, and now at 23 months is just getting her eye teeth. My son's teeth came in similarly, but a couple of months earlier. I never used Oragel ( our 1st pediatrician scared me away from it saying it can hamper their gag reflex) at all so I know that wasn't it! One thing I can say to watch out for from my personal experience, is that kids who teeth a little bit later tend to get a couple or even several at once. I appreciate this in that it means the sleepless nights are grouped together, and the breaks in between teething bouts are longer. I honestly don't know if the pain is intensified by getting more than one at a time, but I give motrin anyway for the more intense days and accompanying fever. Good luck, and don't worry about it..he's fine!! Oh, and if your concern is chewing now that he's getting closer to (or is into) chewing some foods...kids can gum anything! You probably won't be feeding him jerky or taffy, any foods that are acceptable at this age are so soft he doesn't need teeth for them anyway!

J., that is not a problem. My dtr started teething @ 2 mos, & finally @ nine mths putting out the two bottom teeth. All children develop @ there own pace so it is wrong to compare. I also heard that the longer it takes the stronger the teeth. Therefore I would not worry too much. It will happen in time.

My twin daughters didn't get their first teeth until sometime in the 9th month. Then, no more came until they were a year old, and it seemed like they were constantly getting teeth from that point until 18 months or so. I was always told that it was better for them to get them later because the child could tolerate the pain better. Not sure - but teething was never really that bad.

I would not worry about it. Like everything else all children do things at different times. My oldest child cut her first tooth at 9 months. My second cut her first tooth at 12 1/2 months. They all do it at differnt times. Hope this makes you feel a little better.

8 months isn't late! My husband was 14 months old before he got his first tooth, and he proves it true that the later they cut them, the better the teeth. So just be glad for every extra month you get past the "expected" 6 months!

Your son is lucky, the sooner they get teeth, the more likely they'll get decay. Delayed teeth is a good thing.

First of all i highly doubt orajel stunts tooth growth!!! And second of all just because one kid got teeth at 5 months or whatever doesnt mean that your son will every baby is different..for instance my son was 5 months old when he got his first two (and only) teeth..he is 7 months old now...my friends daughter is 15 months and just started getting teeth!!!!

J.,

Do not worry about teeth yet. My son got his first two around 10 mths and still only has 3 at 18 mths! It's so weird b/c kids much younger than him have a full mouth. My ped sent me to a dentist who did x-rays at 16 mths and they are all there - just slow to come in. I do think teeth is one thing that varies so much from child to child. good luck!

C.

Hi J.,
I would not worry..........I have always heard that the later they get teeth the better! Less wear and tear on their baby teeth & they will most likely loose them later and get permanent teeth later...........all good since we hope to have our teeth for a lifetime! If too worried I would call your dentist, but relax........I bet by age one your little guy will be flashing those pearly whites!

J., my pediatrician said "normal" tooth development is at least two teeth by age one.

Hi J.! I am probably restating what many women have already, but my daughter is 10.5 months and jsut got her first tooth the other day. It has been so frustrating though because since she was 4 months old I have been saying that she is fussy because she is teething...and NO teeth until now! The funny thing is that it is not where a first tooth normally comes in...it is on top and one off from center. I didn't even see it...she went to chew on my finger and this time it hurt! Anyhow, when I saw her pediatrican last I asked him about it and he said if she didn't have any teeth at all at 15 months he would request an x-ray, but that is only to see where the teeth may be...still wouldn't be worried. I have given my daughter teething tablets from an early age so that its intersting that you point out the Orajel could be the cause.

I've heard that Orajel makes their gums tougher so it's sometimes harder for the teeth to break through, but I've never heard of it really delaying them. I've used Tylenol for my daughter when she's cutting teeth. She's 13mo now and has 11 teeth and 1 on the way. It seemed like once they started coming in, they never stopped. She might have a break for a week, but not much longer before another one would start coming in. She started getting them in at 7 or 8 months. They'll be here soon enough- no worries.

My son didn't get a tooth until 10 months. My niece had her first birthday without a tooth in her mouth. They are both happy and healthy with full mouths of teeth. :) I wouldn't worry about it. You can mention it at the 9 month appointment, but it isn't really that unusual for a child to not have any teeth at 8 months. :)

Hi J.
My daughter was 12 months old before she got any teeth. Don't rush it, it's ok. The longer it takes them to get their teeth the less likely it is to have problems with decay. Just start brushing them with one of those little soft, finger held brushes by you until he is old enough to use the "safe" toothpaste and toothbrush himself. My son is 7 months old and he has no sign of teeth yet either.

This is normal. We didn't know which would come first for my daughter, walking or teeth. teeth won, but just barely. It's amazing what those hard gums can do. Didn't slow down her eating. My dentist told me that if their teeth come in late, the baby teeth will come out late too. I just didnt' want you worrying in 5 years when he hadn't lost his first tooth yet.
R.

Hi.

I wouldn't worry at all. My DS didn't get his first tooth until 9 months, then each subsequent tooth came about every two months. Honestly, the longer his teeth come in, the better. I've read (though I can't remember where) that teeth are stronger and healthier if they come in later. So. Breathe easier and don't worry. Every kid develops differently and in their own time. He'll be fine... and probably have beautiful, healthy teeth.

Oh yeah... and try to kick the oragel. It can toughen the gums, which make it harder (and sometimes more painful) for teeth to break through.

Good luck... enjoy your toothless guy! He's gonna grow up way too fast anyway! ;-)

Don't worry that he doesn't have teeth yet. My daughter didn't get her first tooth until 10 months. She is 15 months now and has six through and three more on the way! I didn't get my first tooth until 14 months! Dentists have said it is better to get teeth later because often they will last longer. One down side...I didn't lose my first tooth until second or third grade and the teachers stopped giving prizes at school for lost teeth by then! ;)

My daughter didn't get any teeth till about 2 weeks before her first birthday. And then she didn't get them in a normal pattern. She wound up cutting three on top and three on bottom all at the same time. She is 18 months now, and has just started getting more teeth. She got her top two molars and bottom incisor about 3 weeks ago and is now working on her bottom two molars and a top canine. She still doesn't have her front left incisor. I highly doubt the Orajel did any harm in delaying the tooth development. We've been told by two pediatricians that it's acutally better for the teeth to wait to come in. They tend to be healthier, I guess.

Don't worry about anything yet. My youngest (who is now 27 years old!) did not get her first tooth until her first birthday. Later than usual, yes, but we had her checked by a pediatric dentist who confirmed she did have buds in her gums. She has beautiful teeth now! My 2 year old grandaughter didn't get her first tooth until she was 9 months.

Our oldest didn't get teeth until he was 15 months old. He just gummed his food to death. He was also late in losing his teeth, and late in getting his wisdom teeth through. It's just a timetable thing.

My oldest who is now 21 and has been through braces, wisdom teeth pulled, etc did not have any teeth until she was 1 yr old. The week of her first birthday she got 5 teeth. All kids develop things at different times. Her 12 yr molars came in at 16. She just got teeth very slowly. It did not however fall into other areas so don't worry about that. She developed very normally in every other area. Straight A's, cheerleader, choir, varsity swimming and soccer as freshman. Just because he develops one thing slowly doesn't mean everything will be. I have 2 others that developed things at their pace not hers. They are all different. I was the oldest of 6 so I saw this growing up so when people asked me about her lack of teeth I just smiled and said she'd just have them longer when they did come in. If he doesn't show any signs of teeth between 12 - 15 months then talk to your pediatrician about seeing a dentist but I am guessing he will have a number of teeth by then.

My daughter did not get her first tooth until she was 13 months!! It was never an issue for us. It shouldnt be for your son. His teeth will come in and i have heard from numerous people the later they do the healthier set of teeth they will have.
Anyway, her first tooth arrived at 13 months followed by 8 more by the time she was 15 months!! Only two months of teething!! I would take that anyday over having a teething baby from newborn to age 1. Every child is different!

My 33-year-old didn't get her first tooth until she was l4 months old; my mother-in-law was very upset (her first grandchild!) Everything turned out just fine; she has beautiful teeth to match the rest of her.

Everyone is different. Just like the other "milestones" - sitting up, crawling, walking, talking, etc. - they will happen own their own schedule, not one some childcare books have set up. Our ped. said some kids are born with a tooth and some have been known to be all gums til 18 months. Most babies fall somewhere in between! So, don't worry, and take lots of pictures of your baby's toothless grin. Soon it will be a memory.

L.

ps- I have never heard of Orajel delaying teeth. I don't see how a topical anethestic could do that.

Hi i have to say too funny! I am in the same exact boat as you. My son just turned 8 months and still has teeth free choppers. My daughters were 4 months with theirs and i have been giving him the teething tabs for what i calll his fussiness. I think were just gonna have to wait this out. It seems from all my convos that this is quite normal. Write me if you hear any different!

J. - Our first daughter had a full set of teeth by 11-months-old. However, our second daughter just got her first teeth at 11-months-old. Every kid is different. I've also heard that the later your teeth come in; the stronger they are.

my daughter got her first tooth at 10 1/2 months. she is 11 months has 2 teeth and we are waiting on her front upper teeth to come any day now. don't worry, they'll be there soon enough.

Hi J.! I have three kids, and one got his first tooth at 7-1/2 months, my other son at 8-1/2 months. I now have a daughter who is 10 months old and only has her two bottom teeth. The first one popped through at 8-1/2 months as well. I have friends who have babies with a mouth full of teeth. My daugher, on the other hand, has two! I think they will be just fine. Don't be surprised if it takes him a while to lose them when he starts school. My son didn't lose his first tooth until second grade!! He's going into fifth grade and has three teeth missing on top! No one else in his class does, but it's fine. Don't worry, they'll come sooner or later!

Hey J.!

With my experience ever child is different and you have absolutely nothing to worry about at this point. My 3 1/2 year old got her first tooth at 10 months and didn't get another until after a year. My 15 month old just got her first at 14 months and now she has three since then. I really wouldn't worry!

My son didn't get his first tooth until he was 11 months old. My mom says I didn't get my first tooth until a day before my 1 year. The dentist, when I asked with my son, said good, the longer they stay down there the healthier they tend to be and the less time they have to get cavities. This in turn makes the adult teeth healthier.
I joking said he didn't get teeth til late because he was walking at 10 months and God knew his legs were too small to be walking to he saved his lip by not giving teeth. ;) He had a TERRIBLE time when his teeth finally did come in...I was glad to see them but felt horrible for my lil man!

My son was the same way!! At 8 weeks or so he started up something that I thought was a tooth, but turned out to be a blister (at least that is what my ped told me it was.) There was nothing else until he was 11 months old, and even after they started coming in they took their dear old time!!!

A friend of mine's daughter didn't get her first tooth until she was almost 2!!! She took her to the dentist and they confirmed there were baby teeth there. I think it was a week before her 2nd birthday, they had an appointment with a pediactric dentist to actually cut her gums to allow the teeth to come through. They were concerned the gum tissue had become to tough for the teeth to push through.

Don't get concerned they will come through in time, and in the end be a lot healthier!!!!!

Hope this helps, or at least settle your worries. I don't think the oragel did any harm.

A.

Since you are concerned, I think you should contact a pediatric dentist just to have him checked out and alleviate your fears. Every child is different. I know someone who had a tooth when she was born! My own kids have been a little slow in getting their adult teeth. My 9 yr. old has only lost 5 teeth so far, but he's been to the dentist and everything looks good.

Hope that helps.

**Looks like I should have read other responses before I posted. For me, no matter how many people tell me not to worry, I still need to hear it from a Dr. Sounds like that's unnecessary though in this case.

My oldest got his first tooth at 10 months. Was totally caught up by 13 months. No issues, no problems. Ate regular table food without teeth just fine. I wouldn't worry. Normal is up to 9 months for a first tooth.

My son is almost 10 mos old and does not have any teeth yet. In the last couple of weeks we began noticing one pushing through the bottom. I am not concerned with his teeth development. I don't believe you should be concerned either. My son seems to be doing great in other developmental areas (i.e. crawling and walking).