Is it normal for a 22 month-old toddler to only have a few teeth? Dental hygienist Gerald Wennerstrom offers advice for parents of late teethers.

Raisingkids member's problem
Our 22 month-old daughter is a late teether. She didn't get her first two through until she was 15 months old, and still only has 8 teeth! Should we be worried? I haven't taken her to a dentist yet but should I? There are definitely some more coming through, and to be fair, she hasn't suffered as much as others do when they have appeared.

Gerald Wennerstrom's reply
Late teething is not uncommon, as is early teething. My daughter's teeth all came in early, and my youngest son's top and bottom four came in late and the rest on time.

Check in the mouth for bulges on the ridges, which may be developed but unerupted teeth. I won't bore you with repeating the tooth eruption schedule, but be assured that nature has its own plan for tooth eruption, and the charts are merely guidelines.

There's no need to worry. If you were to find out that her teeth are locked inside the jaw bone, and this is very unlikely, there is nothing that can be done at this age. And if she lacks the necessary toothbuds, also very unlikely, there is nothing that can be done since she is too young. Keep her diet soft, if need be.

Sounds to me as if she'll progress just fine, as you said 'There are definitely some more coming through...', so I'd just sit back and let nature take its course. However, if you're still concerned, there's no reason why you can't take her to your dentist for a check up.