Baby teeth are a common cause for concern for many parents. A question that parents often worry about is whether or not their child’s teeth will ever come in. While the vast majority of children have teeth erupt in an expected pattern, there are a few kids in my practice every year that seem like they may never have any teeth. As a parent, when should you be concerned if your child doesn’t have any visible teeth?
Expected Tooth Eruption Milestones
In general, almost all babies are born with a full set of primary teeth. Those little teeth are just hiding inside of their gums. Typically, tooth eruption will begin around 6 months of age and the first teeth to emerge are the two lower front teeth or central incisors. These are soon followed by the front four upper teeth. These four adjacent teeth are the central incisors as well as lateral incisors. By the time a child is 3 years old, they will have a full set of 20 deciduous (baby) teeth.
Reasons for Delay In Tooth Eruption
There are many reasons why a child may not have teeth by the age of 18 months old. Babies who experience premature birth or who have low birth weight may have delays. Additionally, thee are several metabolic and genetic conditions that could cause a delay in eruption or an absence of teeth altogether. Other possibilities include nutritional deficiencies, anemia or abnormalities of the gums. Very rarely, a child may have a genetic condition called anodontia which means “absence of teeth.”
Most often, late tooth eruption could just be a family trait. If your child is progressing through their baby ages without any teeth, ask your family members if anyone else in the family experienced a similar timeline.
We care about baby teeth
Even though baby teeth are destined to fall out eventually, they serve many very important purposes as your child grows. These healthy baby teeth are important for your child’s health for many reasons.
Speech development
Without proper tooth formation and eruption, your child’s speech may not develop on track. Remember when you were younger and missing your front two teeth? Sounds come out differently without teeth in the right places. Missing teeth, whether they are baby teeth or permanent teeth can change the way that sounds are formed. Often this is not an issue with delayed tooth eruption, but rather with absence of the teeth in total.
Proper chewing and eating
Proper chewing and eating are essential for a child’s health and development. Chewing is important for breaking down food into smaller pieces, which makes it easier to digest. Eating the right foods helps ensure that a child gets all the nutrients they need to grow and develop properly.
Chewing and eating are the main role for our teeth, both permanent teeth and baby teeth.
Development of muscles and jaw bones
Without teeth acting as place holders, the development of the jaw and muscles are affected. Bone loss and lack of development of the muscles used for chewing can result from absent teeth.
Overall health
Caring for primary teeth is an important part of your child’s health. Children with dental cavities, missing or painful teeth can suffer consequences to their overall health. Deciduous teeth (or baby teeth) are also important place holders for permanent teeth. Tooth decay in a baby tooth can lead to a risk of tooth decay in the permanent tooth,
When to be Concerned About No Teeth
If your child does not have any visible teeth by the age of 12 months, it is best to bring to the attention of your pediatrician. In general, we don’t stress too much about it until your baby turns 18 months old and is still toothless. At that point, we will consult with a pediatric dentist who generally performs a set of dental x-rays in order to look inside the gums for teeth that may have just not erupted yet.
Often, teeth are just taking their sweet time to erupt and there is no other concern. A pediatric dentist will be able to recommend treatment options in the rare instance that there is something causing your child’s teeth to not come forth. Consulting with a pediatric dentist will usually put your mind at ease as well as set your child up for proper dental care throughout their childhood.
Concluding Thoughts
In conclusion, it is possible for a child to never get teeth, although it is rare. This condition is known as anodontia and can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, certain medications, or radiation therapy. Generally, delayed tooth eruption is a variation of the normal expected development. This condition can run in families. It is important to seek medical care for your child if you don’t notice a tooth by the age of 12 months of age. Regular checkups by your child’s pediatrician are important for their overall health and can set your mind at ease if their tooth development is delayed.
© 127 Pediatrics; February 2023, updated January 2024
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.
Dr. Andrea Wadley is the owner, pediatrician, and breastfeeding medicine specialist for 127 Pediatrics. She has an established house-calls only pediatric practice in Colleyville, TX. She is also the owner and operator of the 127 Pediatrics Online Breastfeeding Medicine and Education Center.
