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Definition

  • The normal process of new teeth working their way through the gums
  • Questions about teething
  • Baby teeth come in between 6 and 24 months of age
  • Caution: at least one tooth should be seen before using this care guide

Proven Symptoms of Teething

Teething has been researched in-depth. Kids who are teething are little different from kids who are not teething. Here are the main symptoms that have been proven:

  • Drooling. Increased spit and drooling.
  • Rash on the face from drooling. The drool contains little bits of food that are irritating to the skin.
  • Chewing. Increased need to chew on things.
  • Gum Pain is mild and not always present. May be due to mouth germs getting into the new break in the gum. Most often, your baby just acts a little more fussy. There's not enough discomfort to cause crying. It also doesn't hurt enough to cause sleep problems.

False Symptoms of Teething

  • Teething does not cause fever, diarrhea, diaper rash or runny nose.
  • It does not cause a lot of crying.
  • It does not cause your baby to be more prone to getting sick.
  • Caution about Fevers. Blaming teething for fevers can lead to a delay in seeking care for infections. Examples are ear and urinary tract infections. Another example is meningitis.
  • There are 2 reasons why infections start between 6 and 12 months of age. One is the loss of antibodies transferred to baby from the mother at birth. The other is the developmental milestone of chewing on everything.
  • Caution about Crying. Blaming teething for crying can lead to a delay of care for other illnesses. Examples are ear infections or other causes of pain.

Barton Schmitt MD, FAAP
Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.
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