When Do Babies Start Teething? Signs and Relief

When do babies start teething?

Most babies start teething at around 6 months. That’s the average, though, not a deadline.

The normal range is wide. Some babies start before they’re 4 months old, while others don’t get their first tooth until after 12 months. A few babies are even born with a tooth already there. So if your 7-month-old still has a gummy smile, that can still be completely within the usual range.

You might also notice teething signs before you can see anything. A baby may dribble more, chew on everything, seem fretful, rub an ear, sleep poorly, or have a sore red patch on the gum where a tooth is coming through. Some babies have only mild symptoms for a few days. Others seem bothered on and off.

That stop-start pattern can be frustrating. One week your baby is gnawing on a muslin like it owes them money, then everything settles, and still no tooth appears. Then the dribbling starts again.

Parents often compare timing with family stories: “You got teeth early,” or “I didn’t get mine until late.” Those stories can make the waiting feel less mysterious, but babies still vary a lot, even within the same family.

If your baby has a rash on their face from dribbling, it can be hard to tell what’s teething-related and what needs separate care. Our guide to Baby Eczema Basics: Triggers, Care, and Doctor Signs may help you sort out skin changes.

One helpful reminder: teething itself isn’t supported as a cause of diarrhoea. If nappies change in a way that worries you, this newborn poop color guide can help you decide what to watch next.

Baby teething timeline by age

Teething has a loose pattern, but it’s not a deadline. Most babies start teething at around 6 months, though some start before 4 months, some after 12 months, and a few are even born with a first tooth. So if your baby’s mouth doesn’t match the chart exactly, that can still be completely normal.

Here’s the usual order many parents notice:

• 6 to 10 months: The lower central incisors, those two bottom front teeth, often appear first. You might spot a sore, red patch on the gum where a tooth is pushing through.
• 8 to 12 months: The upper central incisors usually come next. This is when that classic little two-top, two-bottom smile may start to show.
• 9 to 16 months: The upper and lower side incisors may come in. These sit beside the front teeth.
• 13 to 19 months: First molars may appear toward the back of the mouth. Some babies seem more bothered by these because they’re bigger teeth, and you may see more chewing, dribbling, or unsettled sleep.
• 16 to 23 months: Canine teeth often come through between the side incisors and first molars.
• 23 to 33 months: Second molars usually arrive near the back of the mouth.
• By age 3: Many children have all 20 primary teeth.

Teething symptoms can be mild and last only a few days. Some babies have sore red gums, one flushed cheek, more dribbling, extra chewing, a face rash, ear rubbing, fretfulness, or poorer sleep. A slightly raised temperature can happen, but NHS guidance says this is less than 38C.

If your baby has diarrhoea, NHS says there’s no evidence that teething causes it. If you’re trying to sort out what’s teething and what might be something else, guides like our Newborn Poop Color Guide: What Parents Notice and Baby Eczema Basics: What to Track and When to Call can help you keep clear notes. And trust yourself. If any symptom worries you, contact a GP or call NHS 111.

Common teething signs parents notice

Teething can be surprisingly quiet for some babies, while others seem bothered for a few days before a tooth breaks through. Most babies start around 6 months, though some begin before 4 months and others after 12 months.

One of the first clues is extra drooling. You might notice bibs getting soaked by lunchtime, damp shirt collars, or a little rash on the face where saliva sits on the skin. If your baby’s cheeks or chin are getting irritated, our guide to Baby Eczema Basics: Triggers, Care, and Doctor Signs may help you tell the difference between dribble irritation and a skin flare.

Chewing is another big one. Fingers, toys, pacifiers, your knuckle, the edge of a crib rail. It’s all fair game to a teething baby. Their gums may look swollen, tender, or slightly red right where the tooth is trying to come through.

You may also see more fussiness than usual, especially in the evening. Some babies take shorter naps or wake more often at night for a few days. It doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. Sore gums can make settling harder.

Cheek rubbing and ear pulling can happen too, especially when back teeth are moving. Molars can make babies seem generally uncomfortable, even if you can’t see much in the mouth yet.

A slightly raised temperature can happen with teething, but the NHS says teething does not cause a true fever. If your baby has symptoms that worry you, or their temperature is 38C or higher, it’s sensible to get medical advice. And if tummy changes show up at the same time, teething isn’t considered a proven cause of diarrhoea, so our Newborn Poop Color Guide: What Parents Notice can help you decide what to watch next.

Symptoms that are probably not teething

Teething can make babies drooly, chewy, fretful, and harder to settle. You might see a sore red gum where a tooth is coming through, one flushed cheek, a face rash, more ear rubbing, and sleep that’s suddenly a mess.

Some symptoms deserve a different kind of attention.

A fever of 100.4°F or higher (38°C) should be treated as illness, not typical teething. The NHS describes teething temperature as slightly raised but less than 38°C, so if your baby crosses that line, it’s time to check in with your pediatrician or medical advice line.

Diarrhea also isn’t supported as a teething symptom. If you’re seeing loose stools and you’re unsure what’s normal for your baby, our Newborn Poop Color Guide: What Parents Notice can help you sort what you’re seeing before you call. Repeated vomiting or a rash that spreads beyond the usual small face rash should be handled as something other than classic teething too. For skin changes, you may find Baby Eczema Basics: Triggers, Care, and Doctor Signs helpful.

Also call if your baby refuses all feeds, seems very sleepy, or cries in a way that feels strange for them. You know your baby best. That gut feeling counts.

Ear pulling can happen during teething, but it can also show up with an ear infection, so look at the whole picture.

For example: if your baby is drooling, chewing on everything, still eating, and still having little bursts of play, teething is likely. If they’re drooling and chewing but also have a fever, seem miserable, and won’t feed well, check in with the doctor.

How to soothe a teething baby safely

Teething can be quiet for some babies, and really uncomfortable for others. The NHS says baby teeth can come through with no pain, mild symptoms for a few days, or signs like sore red gums, extra dribbling, more chewing, flushed cheek, fretfulness, and poorer sleep.

Start simple. A firm rubber teether chilled in the refrigerator can feel good on sore gums. Keep it cool, not frozen. Frozen hard teethers can be too harsh on tender gums, especially when a baby is already upset and biting down hard.

You can also wash your hands and rub the sore spot with a clean finger. Gentle counterpressure is often enough to help for a few minutes, which may be all you need before a feed or nap.

Once your baby can handle it safely, try a cold, damp washcloth for chewing. Sit nearby and watch closely. Some babies like the texture even more than a teether, especially if they’re gnawing on everything in sight.

If your baby is already eating solids, chilled soft foods can help too. Think applesauce or yogurt, if those foods are age appropriate for your baby. Keep portions small and stay with them while they eat.

Drool can bring its own little problem. Keep extra bibs handy, change damp ones often, and pat the chin dry instead of rubbing. If the skin around the mouth starts looking irritated, the same gentle tracking you’d use for skin flare-ups can help. We talk more about watching patterns and calling the doctor in Baby Eczema Basics: What to Track and When to Call, and about common skin triggers in Baby Eczema Basics: Triggers, Care, and Doctor Signs.

If pain is getting in the way of feeds or sleep, ask your pediatrician about infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is generally for babies 6 months and older, so check first.

Skip teething gels with benzocaine, teething tablets, amber necklaces, and frozen hard teethers. And if symptoms worry you, especially anything beyond typical teething signs, trust your gut and call your GP, pediatrician, or NHS 111.

What teething pain feels like day to day

Teething usually isn’t one long stretch of pain for months. It tends to come in waves. A few tricky days, a calmer patch, then another tooth starts making itself known.

The hardest days are often right before the tooth comes through the gum. You might notice sore, red gums where the tooth is emerging, more dribbling, lots of chewing, a flushed cheek, extra fretfulness, or sleep that suddenly goes sideways. Some babies also have a slightly raised temperature, but less than 38C.

And yes, your baby can seem totally fine at breakfast and miserable by bedtime. That doesn’t mean you imagined the easy morning. By evening, they may simply be tired, overstimulated, and fed up from gnawing on everything all day.

Some babies barely react when a new tooth appears. Others need more cuddles, shorter outings, and a quieter few days at home. Both are normal. If your baby is teething and also has a face rash from extra dribbling, it can help to think about skin patterns too. This guide on baby eczema triggers, care, and doctor signs may be useful if redness is sticking around.

Try not to blame every rough night on teeth, though. Teething doesn’t have evidence behind symptoms like diarrhoea, and if something feels off, trust that instinct. Changes like unusual nappies, a higher fever, or symptoms that worry you deserve a closer look. Our newborn poop color guide can help you sort what you’re seeing while you decide whether to call for advice.

Feeding, sleep, and teething changes

Teething can make feeding feel a little unpredictable. Some babies want to nurse or take a bottle more often because sucking and closeness are comforting. Others latch, pull away, fuss, then try again because the sucking bothers sore gums.

Most babies start teething around 6 months, though some begin before 4 months and some after 12 months. A first tooth can also arrive with very little fuss. Or you might see a sore red gum, extra dribbling, more chewing, a flushed cheek, a face rash, fretfulness, or rougher sleep for a few days.

For older babies who are already eating solids, cold foods may soothe a bit. Think chilled yogurt on a spoon or a cool puree. Skip frozen fruit chunks unless they’re in a safe feeder and you’re right there watching, because hard slippery pieces can be a choking risk.

Night waking can pick up during teething, especially as bigger teeth like molars come through. First molars often appear around 12 months, canines around 18 months, and second molars around 24 months. Those stretches can feel long.

Keep bedtime boring in the best way. Bath, pajamas, feed, book, crib. The same familiar steps still help, even if your baby needs extra comfort for a night or two.

If sleep falls apart for more than a few nights, it’s worth checking for other things too: illness, a schedule shift, or a new habit like needing to be rocked fully asleep every time. And if you’re seeing skin irritation from drool, our guide to baby eczema triggers and doctor signs may help you sort out what’s teething-related and what needs a closer look. For tracking symptoms over a few days, this gentle checklist on what to track and when to call can be useful.

When to call the doctor or dentist

Teething can make babies dribbly, chewy, flushed, fretful, and harder to settle. A slightly raised temperature can happen too, but the NHS notes this should be less than 38C.

Call your pediatrician if your baby has a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, signs of dehydration, or pain that seems intense. The NHS says there’s no evidence that teething causes diarrhea, so it’s safer to treat those symptoms as something to check, not “just teeth.” If you’re already watching nappies closely, our newborn poop color guide may help you describe what you’re seeing.

You know your baby best. If they seem unusually sleepy, won’t feed well, has fewer wet nappies, or you simply feel worried, call NHS 111, your GP, or your child’s doctor.

Check in with a dentist or pediatrician if your baby has no teeth by 18 months. Many babies start around 6 months, some before 4 months, and some after 12 months, so there’s a wide normal range. Still, 18 months is a sensible point to ask.

Call promptly if the gums look infected, there’s pus, or swelling spreads beyond the gumline. A sore red patch where the tooth is coming through can be part of teething, but spreading swelling is different.

The first dental visit is often recommended by the first birthday or within 6 months of the first tooth. It’s usually quick and practical: checking tooth spacing, fluoride needs, brushing habits, and bottle or pacifier questions. If rashes are part of the worry too, this gentle guide to baby eczema doctor signs may help you sort what to track.

Caring for new baby teeth

Before that first tiny tooth shows up, you can start small. If it fits your family’s routine, wipe your baby’s gums with a clean, damp cloth once a day. Some parents do it after the bedtime feed. Some forget for a week and try again. That’s normal.

Once the first tooth appears, start brushing twice daily with a soft baby toothbrush. Use a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste, about the size of a grain of rice, unless your dentist has told you something different. The brushing itself may take 20 seconds at first, especially with a wiggly baby who thinks the toothbrush is a toy.

Let it be a toy for a moment.

A gentle rhythm can help: baby holds the brush, chews it a little, then you say, “My turn,” and finish the real brushing. You’re building the habit more than chasing a perfect clean every single time.

Try not to put your baby to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, or juice. If they’re used to sucking to sleep, this can be a hard change, so take it gradually and be kind to yourself.

Teething can come with dribbling, chewing, fussiness, and poor sleep. If you’re tracking skin irritation from drool, our guide to Baby Eczema Basics: Triggers, Care, and Doctor Signs may help. And if symptoms ever feel confusing alongside nappies or illness, Newborn Poop Color Guide: What Parents Notice is a useful read too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can babies start teething at 3 months?

Yes. Some babies show teething signs around 3 months, though the first tooth often does not appear until closer to 6 months.

What are the first signs of teething?

Early teething signs often include drooling, chewing on hands or toys, tender gums, fussiness, and slight changes in sleep or feeding.

How long does it take for a tooth to break through?

The most noticeable discomfort often lasts a few days, but a tooth may shift under the gums for weeks before it appears.

Does teething cause fever?

Teething may cause mild warmth, but a fever of 100.4°F or higher is usually from something else and should be taken seriously.

What is the safest way to soothe a teething baby?

Try a chilled firm teether, gentle gum massage with a clean finger, or a cold damp washcloth for chewing while supervised.

Are teething necklaces safe?

No. Amber and silicone teething necklaces can pose choking and strangulation risks and are not recommended.

Why is my baby pulling their ears while teething?

Teething pain can radiate toward the cheeks and ears, but ear pulling with fever, poor sleep, or unusual crying may mean an ear infection.

When should I start brushing baby teeth?

Start brushing as soon as the first tooth appears, using a soft baby toothbrush and a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste.