Is it normal to have no teeth at 12 months of age? Bay dental care advice.

When we talk about children developing or reaching milestones there is always a range of acceptable dates. Generally the front teeth start erupting between six and ten months of age, and the back teeth between 12 and 16 months.

The full set of baby teeth are usually present in the mouth by 23-30 months. Of course there can be variations, often up to 6 months later than the average times. Your newborn’s dental development is not linked in any way to other developmental milestones. In most cases the teeth erupt in their own time.

In some rare situations the teeth may not erupt because something is blocking the path of eruption into the mouth or the teeth have not formed at all. If you are concerned you should take your child to see the dentist for a consultation. The kids dentist will look for signs of the teeth and advise a follow up, or recommend an x-ray of toddlers teeth or of an older child’s teeth. A baby teeth x-ray are not something we recommend at such a young age. 

Missing teeth tend to occur within families so if this is the case let your dentist know. If there are missing teeth, the dentist can advise you on appropriate management strategies for your toddler, primary aged child or baby.