At around six months old, your baby may start teething. You might notice your baby has started crying more than usual, is drooling or not sleeping well. Another symptom can be strange behaviour when breastfeeding or formula feeding. Although your baby seems hungry, when you feed him, he often stops sucking and starts to cry. This is because the sucking action is making painful gums feel very tender.

All babies start to teethe at different times, so there's no need to worry if your baby's first tooth appears at three months or eighteen months. If your baby is teething late, don't delay weaning until the first tooth appears. Babies are quite happy chewing soft food with their gums.

Your baby will probably get the bottom two teeth first. Next come the upper incisors, followed by the next two upper incisors and then the lower incisors, making four on top and bottom. After they have come through, there is usually a delay before your baby starts cutting the molars. After the two first molars come the canines, and finally the second molars appear.

As soon as your baby cuts his first tooth, you need to keep it clean to prevent the build up of plaque. Brush your baby's teeth twice a day using a very soft toothbrush and a dot of toothpaste. Always buy toothpaste made especially for babies and follow the guidelines on the package.