What’s Normal and What’s Not Normal When It Comes to Teething?

Apr 1 • 2 minute read

A pacifier and a bottle of milk

According to the American Dental Association, babies are likely to get their first two bottom teeth within the first six months of their lives. When the first teeth start coming in, it usually isn’t very hard to tell. There’ll be plenty of indicators your baby will display to let you know they’re teething.

Teething often feels like a long and arduous journey for parents, but rest assured, the symptoms of teething that babies experience, and cause their parents to experience by proximity, will pass. For the new parents experiencing their baby’s teething for the first time, here’s a guide for what’s normal and what’s not.

It’s Probably Teething If

Teething comes with a whole lot of discomfort as baby’s teeth begin erupting from below the gumline. If your baby is exhibiting these symptoms, you can pick any number of strategies to soothe them through the rough patches of teething:

Your Baby Cranks up the Crankiness: This is probably the most common sign your baby is teething. They’ll be more fussy than usual and probably want to snuggle a little more than usual.
Lots of Drool: As teeth push through the gumline, it stimulates baby’s saliva glands. This will cause them to drool a lot more than usual, and the extra acidity on their skin may cause some red patches of irritation on their chin and around their mouths. It can also cause some coughing and gagging if they choke on the extra saliva in their mouths.
Chewing: One of the ways babies soothe themselves when they’re teething is chewing more aggressively on a chew toy, you, or their sibling. Chewing helps relieve the pressure babies feel from the structures of their jaws moving around to accommodate their teeth moving to a new spot.

It May Be More Than Teething If

Consequently, another thing that might be happening with your baby at about six months of age is that they’re likely to start getting sick a little more often. This is because their immune system is rapidly changing to resist more dangers outside the womb. It can be hard to differentiate some of the symptoms of teething for ordinary illnesses. If your baby is experiencing these symptoms while also teething, you may want to consult with your pediatrician:

Diarrhea: Many believe diarrhea is a symptom of teething, but available evidence doesn’t actually establish a link between the two. Diarrhea can be a warning sign for something potentially more serious, so monitor your baby and consult with a doctor if they’re experiencing it while teething.
Fever: The pain and discomfort of teething may cause a baby’s temperature to raise a little, but if it’s higher than 100.4 degrees, your baby has a fever. Fevers are not caused by teething.
Persistent Symptoms: The more extreme symptoms of teething typically wane and pass within a few days. If your baby is experiencing bad symptoms of teething for more than a few days at a time, consult your doctor for advice.