My child's teeth are not growing yet she has started walking

Dear Doctor,

I have a question about my child’s teeth and the delay in them erupting. My daughter is ten months old and she has not yet grown the two lower teeth unlike her age mates. I usually see kids as young as seven months old with the lower two teeth.

Her brother, my first born son, started growing teeth at six months. What do you think is taking her that long yet she has even started walking without and she crawled when she was around five months old?

Anxious Mom

Dear Anxious Mom,

It is in order for you to worry that your daughter has not yet developed teeth even at the age of ten months. Teething starts at different ages for different kids. It may start as early as three months or as late as 12 months. The first teeth typically appear between six and nine months.

Often, the teeth arrive in pairs. The two lower central incisors are the first to appear at approximately six months. They are followed by the two upper central incisors at approximately eight months. Next are the two upper lateral incisors, which appear at approximately ten months. The two lower lateral incisors follow at approximately ten months, then the four first molars which appear at approximately 14 months. The four canines appear at approximately 18 months. Lastly, the second molars appear at approximately two to three years age.

It has been thought that the appearance of teeth is hereditary, and generally if teeth eruption delayed in the parents, then the child’s teeth eruption may be delayed. Your daughter still has time on her side. However, you may need to have her checked by a dentist to see whether there is any structural problem delaying the teeth eruption.

— Dr Ombeva Malande is a paediatrics and child health expert