A first-time mother calls the pediatrician’s office to ask the nurse about her baby’s tooth eruption. The baby is 8 months old and still does not have any teeth. What information can the nurse share with this mother that would correctly respond to her anxiety about her baby’s dentition?

Look for the baby to start running a fever and develop a stuffy nose and that will indicate his teeth are coming in.

If the baby does not have any teeth come in by next month, the mother needs to bring him back for x-rays.

Tooth eruption is often genetically based, with some families having babies with early tooth eruption, while others have late tooth eruption.

A baby’s first teeth should erupt by 8 to 10 months of age and are the two lower front teeth.