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7 Most Common Baby Teething Symptoms & Signs

baby teething symptoms and signs

Article at a Glance:

  • Most babies begin teething between 4-6 months, but signs of teething can appear as early as 3 months.
  • Baby teeth eruption follow a predictable order, but signs and symptoms of teething may vary.
  • Knowing the signs & symptoms of teething can help prepare in managing your baby’s pain & discomfort.

A baby’s first smile, laugh, and steps are all milestones that parents are cheerful to witness in their growing little ones. However, when it comes to a baby’s first tooth eruption, we can call this milestone a “necessary evil”.

While some babies breeze through teething unbothered, most babies are burdened with the pain and discomfort of teething symptoms.

Read on to understand the signs and symptoms of teething to help you better manage your baby’s teething discomfort.

7 Teething Signs & Symptoms to Watch For in your Infant

We’ve really got to appreciate the common signs and symptoms of teething for infants. By building your knowledge with the awareness of teething symptoms, you can identify symptoms that may have an underlying cause.

This will beat any headache or unnecessary stress by staying ahead of the game. You’ll know the appropriate and immediate teething relief to give your keiki.

If this is your infant’s first tooth or teething experience, use the Kute Keiki baby teething chart to determine which teeth are erupting.

Diligence is necessary for observing any signs or symptoms of teething. Be sure to monitor your child for the following symptoms to be certain of a teething ordeal to occur.

1. Appearance of Teeth

What better way to figure out a tooth is approaching than checking your baby’s gums? An erupting tooth would create a “ridge” along the baby’s gum line. This is a clear indication of teething.

Make sure before to clean your hands with baby-sensitive soap before poking around in their mouths.

The first place to look is the lower jaw. The central incisors, front teeth, on the lower jaw grow in first, followed by the front teeth on the upper jaw [1].

If your baby tolerates it, give their gums a gentle massage while you have your finger in their mouth. The counter-pressure helps relieve teething pain for plenty of babies – this is why they like to chew on things!

2. Excessive Drooling

These excessive and unnecessary pools of saliva are one of the most common teething symptoms witnessed in babies [2]. Yet being the messiest symptom, the exessive drooling that comes with teething does serve a purpose.

Saliva contains antibodies that protect baby’s vulnerable gums from germs on the many objects around the house that will inevitably end up in their mouth. Diligently wiping the  excess drool will prevent facial rashes, which some parents report when their child is teething.

Tip: Instead of changing your baby’s onesie every hour, dress your baby with a cute drool bib.

teething symptoms baby drooling

3. Fussiness & Irritability

It’s a 2-for-1 since these two dreaded symptoms are the most arduous symptoms to deal with. We just don’t like to see our babies cranky or crying.

And yet, the simplicity of the child-mind allows just a bit of distraction from the teething displeasures. Take them for a walk to the park, read, snuggle, or even breastfeed to give them some comfort and relief.

If your teething baby is clearly in pain, provide a natural teething remedy solution like a teething toy. Chill a teething toy in the refrigerator to provide significant relief to your infant’s teething symptoms and signs.

signs of teething baby trouble sleeping

4. Trouble Sleeping

The eruption stages of the teething process can really irritate your little one.

At night, there isn’t too much distracting baby – just the pain in their mouth!

You may experience a few sleepless nights as a result. While this is one of the most challenging signs and symptoms of teething, know that it will not last forever.

To relieve teething trouble, some parents choose to breastfeed their baby back to sleep or give the baby a bottle. Baby teeth are susceptible to dental caries, or cavities, from any remaining milk in their mouths.

Make sure to use a clean finger or washcloth to wipe any remaining milk to protect those little pearls.

5. Teething Cough

Coughing is also another sign and symptom of teething, which is caused by excess saliva in the throat. This is a natural and harmless occurrence.

While it may seem that your baby has an endless fountain of drool cascading down the front of their mouth, plenty still drips down their throat, especially at night.

A cough is your baby trying to clear it out and is nothing to be concerned about. If they develop additional symptoms, such as a runny nose or fever, this could indicate a virus.

baby putting objects in mouth teething signs symptoms

6. Putting Things in Mouth and Chewing

Chewing, chomping, gnawing, mouthing… whatever you want to call it, it is an instinctual response that babies have when they are teething. They will put anything in their mouth they can find to apply pressure to their gums to alleviate pain and, unknowingly, helping the tooth break through the gum.

As a natural teething relief solution, keep clean, safe teething toys on hand. To avoid harmful germs and bacteria, make sure to always clean any teething toys you use. You may have to experiment with different shapes and materials to find a teething toy that they prefer.

Experts advise against plastic and liquid filled products, due to the potential of leaking chemicals. Always be aware of your teething relief methods for your developing baby.

7. Pain

There is definitely some discomfort when your baby is teething. Every baby will handle that teething pain differently.

While some parents choose to use medication to relieve teething pain, others try to soothe teething symptoms naturally. Most times, natural alternatives are the most effective remedy [3].

Nerve pathways in their gums, ears, and cheeks connect the teething aches and pains; so many babies will tug at their cheeks and ears.

Having cold items that are safe for your baby to chew on is great to address their teething pain and distract them at the same time.

infant in pain from teething symptoms

Each baby is different and will respond better to some teething remedies than others. Baltic Amber has teething relief benefits from the healing Succinic Acid, and Baltic Amber teething necklaces have historically shown to be a favorite teething relief solution.

Many parents say that trial and error was the best way for them to learn how to remedy the symptoms of teething, and only you know what’s best for helping your baby through this difficult milestone!

3 Symptoms That Are NOT Caused By Teething

Though there are many side symptoms related to teething, some symptoms are mistakenly attributed to teething when they are usually a sign of a virus or more serious illness.

Most importantly, “Teething produces nothing but teeth” [2].

Parents are urged to monitor a teething baby closely if they have these symptoms that are NOT caused by teething. If your infant is experiencing any of the following symptoms, schedule an appointment with a pediatric doctor to rule out any illnesses.

Symptoms UNRELATED to Teething Include:

These symptoms usually result from your baby ingesting bacteria on the objects they are putting in their mouth. To protect from getting sick, make sure that you have teething toys and teething necklaces readily available and wash them every night.

Choose items that can be put in the dishwasher and sanitized under high heat. Though it is difficult, try to be vigilant about what your baby puts in their mouth and always wash your hands as well as theirs.

Soothe Away Teething Symptoms Naturally

Remember that teething won’t last forever. As your child’s mouth develops, their speech will strengthen and diets will be enhanced with various nutrients! Once your baby has a full set of teeth in their mouth, the sleepless nights and buckets of drool will be a thing of the past.

But in the meantime with your current teething infant, always try to use your natural teething relief options first and foremost.

Some of these teething relief options are easily accessible, free, and could be something you have around the house. These include taking a walk outside or using a clean finger to apply pressure to baby’s aching gums.

Kute Keiki also assists in helping you soothe away teething symptoms with our array of teething relief solutions.

Silicone Teething Toys and Teething Necklaces

Most teething toys sold in stores, or online, are made of some sort of plastic. The abundance of plastic teethers is also means an abundance of questionable chemicals used to create these products.

To avoid the uneasy feeling of giving your baby a teething toy that could cause harm (maybe not immediately, but for their growing future), always make sure to check the ingredients used to make a teething toy before you buy. Call the manufacturer to make sure there are no pthalates, PVC, or BPA in their products.

Yes, it seems like a bit much to read every ingredient or call the manufacturer to get some answers, however this precautionary step is a way to make sure that your baby is growing and developing without any disruptors in the mix.

Most parents are turning to silicone teething toys since most silicone teething toys are 100% food-grade and free of all of these vicious toxins. Silicone is made from silicon, which is an abundant element in Earth’s crust. It is inert, which means it doesn’t react with chemicals, making it the safest alternative to plastics.

Kute Keiki offers silicone teething toys and necklaces that are tested and safe from these harmful chemicals. Our silicone teething relief options are also freezer safe, which provide baby with added teething relief from the cooled temperatures.

Stay on Top of Your Baby’s Oral Health

We are not always 100% prepared as parents, but at least making yourself aware of teething signs and symptoms can help you take the right steps in providing a smoother teething experience for your child.

If this is your first teething experience,  learn more about when babies start teething. You can also use Kute Keiki’s baby teething chart to keep track of your baby’s developing teeth.

Keep in mind, some children will experience teething as early as 3 months. Teething can last up to 30 months but varies with every child.

Did you know that baby teeth are also vulnerable to cavities as soon as they rupture from the gums?

Practicing good oral hygiene is another way to ease the teething process and lower the risk of your infant from acquiring an illness or cavities.

The easiest method is to use a clean and moistened finger or towel to wipe the gums or protruding teeth. Once your baby’s teeth erupt, there are baby-approved toothbrushes that are safe for your baby’s gums.

Kute Keiki also offers baby teething toothbrushes, which can be used as a toothbrush and a teether. The teething toothbrush contains multi-textured surface to relieve teething pain and stimulate the gums for other teeth to come in.

Whenever in doubt, always reach other to a pediatric dentist for more assurance in your baby’s teething journey.  Most professionals recommend seeing a dentist by 12 months, but it is never too early if you are unsure and need advice.