Question

My child is almost 9 months old, but why haven’t the teeth come in yet? Is this normal?

Answer

The timing of when babies start teething varies, and this is usually a normal phenomenon; there is no need to worry excessively. Healthy babies typically begin to teethe between 6 to 7 months after birth. Some parents, upon seeing that their child has not yet teething at 8 months, may worry that a lack of calcium could prevent the teeth from growing. Therefore, some parents may blindly supplement their child with cod liver oil and calcium supplements. In fact, this practice is often not beneficial to a child’s health. Simply relying on the timing of when a child starts teething cannot truly determine if the child is deficient in calcium. The timing of when a baby starts teething is mainly determined by hereditary factors; some children start teething as early as the fourth month after birth, while others may not emerge until the 10th month. If the milk teeth have not emerged by 10 months, there is no need to be anxious. As long as the child’s physical condition is good and there are no other issues, it is fine if the first milk tooth comes in by the age of one. Just pay attention to diet, provide complementary foods at the right time, and get plenty of sunlight, and the baby’s teeth will naturally grow out.