How to Know When Your Baby is Teething

Young children go through many developmental stages during the first year of life. One of the most important baby milestones is teething. Teething begins even before you see your baby’s pretty tooth erupt. By watching the signs, you can tell when your baby is teething to help reduce discomfort when teeth are cracking from their gums.

Table of Contents

Observe physical symptoms

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Watch for signs when your baby is 3 months old. The age at which a child starts teething is within a fairly wide range of time. Some parents may notice these signs by the time their baby is 3 months old, and the tooth will come out of the gum when the baby is 4 to 7 months old. Most children have all 20 baby teeth by the age of three. ^{[1] X Research Sources} Observing the signs can help you check your child’s teeth, ease discomfort, and clear bacteria in your child’s mouth. ^{[2] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Note that some children do not show signs of teething. In this case, check the baby’s mouth to see if the tooth is coming out. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Check the child’s mouth area. If you suspect your child is teething, you can check for signs in the baby’s mouth area. Check the skin around the mouth and then look inside the baby’s mouth. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Make sure your hands and fingers are clean before the test to avoid spreading bacteria to your baby.
Pay attention to whether your child is drooling or if his or her mouth is wet. It is a clear sign that your baby is about to start teething or is teething.
Watch for redness on the child’s face or pinkish red skin. A red rash on the face is often a sign that a baby is teething. The red spots may not be very dark, but if your baby’s skin is pink or redder than usual, there is probably redness.
Gently lift the child’s lips to check the gums. Note that you may see your baby’s gums swell, especially in the molar area. In other cases, you may notice a build-up of fluid, which is bluish in color. This is completely normal and should be left alone. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Massage your baby’s gums while you check for teeth or hard spots. Massaging can help relieve discomfort and help you determine if your baby is teething.

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Notice if your baby sucks or bites a lot. Most children show physical symptoms of teething before the first tooth breaks out of the gum. Many children bite or suck on toys, fingers, or other objects. If you notice your baby seems to be biting or sucking on things more, it’s probably a sign that teething is coming. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Pay attention to whether your child uses sucking or biting objects to rub his gums. Many teething babies often rub their gums in addition to biting and sucking on things.

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Check your child’s ears. Children often feel the pain of teething like an earache. If you see your baby pulling or rubbing his ears in addition to other symptoms, it could be because your baby is teething. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Understand that children often pull their ears or play with them out of curiosity. However, it can also be a sign of an infection. Call your pediatrician if you’re not sure if your child’s ear pulling is due to teething or an ear infection, which can progress to serious problems if left untreated.
Other signs of an ear infection include fever, cold, or irritability when pulling on the ear, lying down, or bottle-feeding.

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Check the child’s temperature. If your baby’s cheeks or skin are pink or warmer, he may have a mild fever from teething; However, you should know that teething only causes a mild fever. If the baby has a high fever, it is possible that the baby is teething and has some other factor causing the fever. In this case, call the doctor to see if your child needs to be seen. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Recognize behavioral signs

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Observe the child’s mood. In addition to the physical symptoms of teething, the child may also exhibit behavioral signs. Two of the most common behavioral symptoms are irritability and excessive crying. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Notice if your child is more irritable than usual or even irritable. This may be due to pain or discomfort when teething. You may notice that your baby is more irritable and irritable at night because teeth grow faster at night. ^{[10] X Research Source}
Listen to see if your baby is crying more than usual or crying continuously for several days. This could be a sign that your baby is teething, especially if your child has other symptoms; However, you should also be aware that a baby crying a lot can be due to gas, colic or other medical conditions such as an ear infection. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Notice the change in your child’s eating habits. The process of teething makes children feel uncomfortable in the mouth, which can affect their eating habits. Pay close attention to whether your baby is willing to eat and eat more or less, as this can signal that the baby is teething or about to start teething. ^{[12] X Research Source}

If your baby usually eats solid foods, notice if he suddenly prefers breast or bottle feeding. This may be because the spoon touches the swollen gums causing discomfort to the child; However, there are times when children prefer to eat solid foods because they feel more comfortable when the spoon rubs against the gums.
Understand that your baby may not be able to breastfeed or bottle feed because sucking can put uncomfortable pressure on the gums and ear canal.
Be sure to take your child to the pediatrician if he or she refuses to eat. This phenomenon can be due to the baby teething or the child has some disease. In either case, your doctor can diagnose and treat it.

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Observe your baby’s sleep closely. Since tooth development occurs mainly at night, teething can interfere with a baby’s nighttime sleep, even naps. Note a change in your child’s nighttime sleep patterns, including awakenings or disrupted sleep. Your baby’s usual naps may also vary. If your baby has these symptoms along with other signs, he or she is probably about to start teething. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Remember that teething sleep disturbances can cause or increase irritability and irritability in your baby.

Soothe children

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Massage benefits for children. A gentle massage can soothe a baby’s discomfort. In addition, you can feel your baby’s teeth that are cracking, or detect dental problems during the massage. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Wash your hands before massaging your baby’s gums. Be sure to wash off the soap thoroughly as your baby can swallow the soap left on your hands.
Use one or two fingers to rub the baby’s gums. Gently massage with a circular motion.

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Use a cold washcloth to dab your baby’s mouth and gums. If you notice signs of teething in your baby, especially drooling, use a cool towel to wipe the baby. Not only is it more comfortable for your baby, but it also helps prevent rashes in your child’s mouth and clears up bacteria buildup. ^{[15] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Use a clean washcloth with fragrance-free soap for sensitive skin to make sure it doesn’t irritate your baby’s delicate skin or gums. Dip cool or cold water and squeeze out excess water.
Wipe your baby’s mouth when he or she drools. Then gently open the baby’s mouth and massage the gums with the towel. These two movements can help clean bacteria both inside and outside your child’s mouth. ^{[16] X Research Source}
Begin your baby’s massage and gum cleansing regimen as soon as possible, ideally right after birth. ^{[17] X Research Source}

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Give your child toys for the teething period. Chewing on toys can help reduce discomfort. You can try a variety, from mouthpieces to teething cookies. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Place the damp cloth in the refrigerator or freezer for about 30 minutes and let your baby chew it. Make sure the towel doesn’t freeze to ice as it can bruise the baby’s swollen gums.
Chill the teething ring in the refrigerator and give it to your baby to suck on. Note, never put the teething ring in the freezer or boil to disinfect. Extreme temperature changes can damage rubber or plastic and leak chemicals. You should also remember to never tie a teething ring around a baby’s neck to avoid the risk of strangulation.

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Give your child something to eat or drink cold. Anything cool can help reduce discomfort for your baby. Give your child something cold to drink or eat to make them more comfortable. This also helps provide nutrients to the child if he or she has problems eating because of discomfort when teething. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Give your baby a bottle or drink ice cold water if he’s over 6 months old. If your baby is under 6 months old, you can give him a small amount of water without ice (30-60 ml) using a bottle or cup. Do not give your child water more than 1-2 times a day, unless advised by a doctor.
Offer your child cold foods like yogurt, pureed peaches or apple sauce to soothe gums. You can also let your child suck on popsicles or cold fruit like bananas and put peaches in a mesh bag to practice chewing. This bag will help prevent children from choking on food. Only give teething biscuits or cold foods to your child when he or she has learned to eat solid foods. ^{[20] X Source} Remember to have your child sit up straight when eating these foods. ^{[21] X Research Source}

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Give your child pain relievers. If your baby is over 6 months old, you can give them a dose of ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Younger children can take acetaminophen with their doctor’s approval. Pain relievers can help reduce discomfort and irritability in children. Be sure to consult your pediatrician before giving your child any pain medication. ^{[22] X Research Source}

Consider giving your child ibuprofen or acetaminophen pain relievers with a children’s formula. Use according to the directions on the label or ask your pediatrician if you are unsure.
Remember that aspirin should never be given to a child unless specifically directed by your pediatrician. Taking aspirin can lead to Reye’s syndrome in children. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

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Note the things to avoid. There are many methods that can help soothe a teething baby, but there are also a few things you should avoid. Alcohol and gel or oral therapies for teething babies can be harmful to babies. ^{[24] X Research Source} You need to pay attention to the following:

Do not put aspirin in your child’s teeth or gums
Do not rub alcohol on children’s gums
Do not give children teething pills
Do not use teething gel or numbing gel to massage your baby’s gums, as some gels contain pharmaceutical ingredients that can be dangerous for your baby.
Do not wear amber beads on children as they are ineffective and pose a risk of choking ^{[25] X Research Source}
Do not dab whiskey on your baby’s gums because it can make them sleep and be dangerous for them

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Consult a dentist. If you are concerned about your baby’s teething, make an appointment with your dentist to take your baby in for a check-up. Examining your child’s teeth will help the dentist identify potential problems and prescribe treatment.

Talk to your dentist about your specific concerns. You should inform your dentist about your child’s teething signs and symptoms and any measures you have taken to relieve your child’s symptoms.

Advice

Talk to your pediatrician or healthcare provider to determine the best pain relievers you can give your baby during teething.

Warning

Consult your pediatrician or healthcare provider if teething pain stops your child from eating completely, diarrhea or fever above 38.33°C. These signs may indicate a more serious illness or not related to teething.

Steps

Observe physical symptoms

Recognize behavioral signs

Soothe children

Advice

Warning

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