About 6 to 12 months
The first tooth
The first tooth changes the job. From now on, you brush.
This month
- Brush with water, morning and night.
- Book the first check.
- Something cold to chew.
- No gels and no necklaces.
- Milk or water in a bottle.
The first tooth comes at about 6 months. Any time from 3 to 12 months is normal.
Brush twice a day with a soft baby brush and water. No toothpaste yet.
Sit your baby on your lap, head on your chest. Lift the lip and brush in small circles.
Book the first check when the first tooth comes. No tooth by the first birthday? Book it then.
The first check is a look and a chat. We count the teeth. We talk about brushing, food and dummies. There are no needles and no drills.
Sips of cooled boiled water are fine from about 6 months. Milk is still the main drink.
Rub the gums with a clean finger. Give something cold to chew, not frozen. No teething gels. No amber necklaces. They can choke a baby or wrap around the neck. They do not help.
For pain, ask your pharmacist, nurse or doctor what is safe.
When to get help
- A fever of 38 or more is not teething. See your doctor today.
- Call 000 if your child cannot breathe or swallow, or the swelling is spreading fast.
- Not sure? Ring 13 HEALTH on 13 43 25 84, any time of day or night.
Register your child
Tell us who your child is and where they go. We will check their teeth when we visit.
Sign up todayWhere this comes from
We checked every line on this page against these.
Toothbrushing – children 0-6 years(opens in a new tab)
Better Health Channel · Opened 5 September 2026
Brushing twice a day, about two minutes, every surface and along the gum line, and spitting the toothpaste out rather than rinsing it away.
Kids Health Info: Dental care(opens in a new tab)
The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne · Opened 5 September 2026
That a check-up is a regular habit rather than something you go for when a tooth hurts, and roughly how often children go.
Looking after your baby or child's teeth(opens in a new tab)
healthdirect Australia · Opened 7 September 2026
Wiping a baby's gums from the first days, the first tooth at about six months, the first check by the first birthday, and never a bottle of milk or a sweet drink at bedtime.
First Dental Visits(opens in a new tab)
Australian Dental Association · Opened 7 September 2026
What the first check actually is: a look at the teeth, tongue, cheeks, gums, lips and throat, and a conversation with the parent.
Oral health information for children(opens in a new tab)
Australian Dental Association NSW Branch · Opened 7 September 2026
That the first visit is when the first baby tooth comes through or by one year of age, and at least every twelve months after that.
Teething necklace safety – avoid strangulation or choking(opens in a new tab)
ACCC Product Safety · Opened 7 September 2026
The regulator's own warning behind the band's line that a beaded teething necklace is never put on a baby.
Dental health & dental care for babies(opens in a new tab)
Raising Children Network · Opened 7 September 2026
That a newborn already has a full set of twenty teeth hidden in the gums, that the first one arrives between about three and twelve months, how to hold a baby to brush, and that nothing goes in a cot bottle.
First dental visits(PDF, opens in a new tab)
Australian Dental Association · Opened 7 September 2026 · PDF
That the first visit is when the first teeth come through or by age one, whichever is first; what the dentist talks to the parent about; and the words never to use with a child about it.
Teething(PDF, opens in a new tab)
Australian Dental Association · Opened 7 September 2026 · PDF
That teething can start from three months, which signs belong to it and which belong to a sick baby, what helps, and that a parent asks a pharmacist, nurse or doctor before any pain medicine.
Food and drinks for children(PDF, opens in a new tab)
Australian Dental Association · Opened 7 September 2026 · PDF
Milk and water as the drinks, a cup rather than a bottle after one, and that sticky or sweet snacks sit on the teeth longest.
Questions? admin@oralhealthhome.com