Baby Teething - Signs, Symptoms, Safe Remedies, and What to Avoid

Published: January 2025 | Last Updated: March 2026 | By Adel Galal, ParntHub.com

Baby teething starts somewhere between 4 and 7 months for most babies, , and it announces itself with a very particular combination of drool, fussiness, and something chewing on everything they can find.

The news: teething is temporary. Every single tooth eventually comes through. The bad news: there are 20 of them.

This guide reveals true teething symptoms, what’s safe, what’s risky and the FDA’s warnings on harmful teething products.

Quick answer - Most babies start teething between 4 and 7 months. Real teething symptoms include drooling, gum swelling, chewing, and mild fussiness. Teething doesn’t cause fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. 

The safest remedies are a firm rubber teething ring and gum massage. The FDA warns strongly against benzocaine gels, lidocaine products, and homeopathic teething tablets for children under 2.

When Does Baby Teething Start?

Babies usually start teething between 4 and 7 months, with 20 teeth by age 3, though some cut their first as early as 3 months. Others do not see a tooth until after their first birthday. Both ends of this range are normal. Do not worry if your baby seems ahead of or behind the typical timeline; the teeth are in there, and they will come.

The Teething Order - Which Teeth Come When

Teeth do not arrive randomly. They follow a predictable sequence:

Sources: AAP HealthyChildren.org | Mayo Clinic — Teething (December 2024)

The bottom front two teeth almost always arrive first. After the first tooth, the next often emerges within days or weeks.

Real Signs of Baby Teething

Studies show that teething babies may drool, you may see much clearer spit than usual, chew more, put toys, fingers and other objects in their mouths and bite down on them, and develop a rash around the mouth as a side effect of drooling.

According to the AAP, occasional symptoms of teething include mild irritability, a low-grade fever, drooling, and an urge to chew something hard.

Here is a clear breakdown of what teething causes:

Swollen, Tender Gums

The gum tissue swells as the tooth pushes through from below. You may see a red, raised area where the tooth is approaching the surface. Before the crown of a tooth appears, the gums have already been broken down by hormones, and as those hormones do their job, they cause the gums to swell and become tender, causing the pain.

Increased Drooling

This is one of the most reliable teething signs and one of the messiest. Teething stimulates the salivary glands. Excessive drool can cause a red, chapped rash around the mouth, chin, and neck. Keep a soft cloth nearby and wipe gently; do not rub.

Chewing on Everything

Pressure on the gums counteracts the pressure built beneath them. Your baby will chew on toys, your fingers, the cot rail, their own hand, and anything they can get into their mouth. This is purposeful and instinctive.

Mild Fussiness

Fussiness can signal mild gum pain from teething, but if your baby cries nonstop, the cause is likely something else.

Sleep Disruption

Teething discomfort tends to feel worse at night when there are fewer distractions. Some babies who were sleeping well suddenly start waking more around teething periods. This is temporary but real.

Ear Pulling and Cheek Rubbing

The pain from a tooth coming through can refer along the jaw toward the ear. A baby rubbing their cheek or pulling at their ear on the side of the new tooth is often responding to this referred discomfort, not an ear infection. 

If ear pulling is persistent or accompanied by fever, get it checked.

What Teething Does NOT Cause - This Is Important

One of the most helpful things this article can do is clear up the myths that lead parents to miss real illnesses by attributing everything to teething.

Parents often link teething to fever, diarrhea, or fussiness—but research shows these issues usually stem from other causes, not teething itself.

Teething does not cause:

• High fever and a temperature above 38°C (100.4°F) are not teething symptoms. It indicates illness.
• Diarrhea or vomiting is not caused by teething. These need a medical assessment
• Significant, prolonged crying, mild fussiness, yes; inconsolable distress, no
• Nasal congestion or coughing are signs of infection, not teething
• Rashes on the body, a drool rash around the mouth, are teething-related; a body rash is not

Teething and common issues like fever or fussiness often overlap, but illnesses, especially viral infections, are usually the real cause. Always consult a doctor if symptoms seem serious; don’t dismiss them as teething.

This is genuinely important. Many serious infant illnesses have been missed because parents assumed the symptoms were teething. When in doubt, call your pediatrician.

Safe Baby Teething Remedies That Actually Work

The news: the most effective teething remedies are also the simplest and cheapest.

1. Firm Rubber Teething Ring - Chilled, Not Frozen

This is AAP’s primary recommendation. The AAP recommends using a chilled teething ring that is kept in the refrigerator, not frozen, and gently rubbing or massaging the child's gums with a finger to relieve symptoms.

The cold reduces gum inflammation. Firmness provides counter-pressure that relieves the building pressure of the emerging tooth.

Why not freeze? A teething ring that is too hard can hurt the child's gums. Make sure the teething ring is not frozen. Frozen teethers are too hard and too cold and can cause more discomfort than they relieve.

Choose a solid rubber teether, not a liquid-filled one. Liquid-filled teething toys can tear or spring a leak, leaving sharp edges that might hurt your baby's mouth.

2. Gum Massage

Gentle pressure on the gums from a clean finger provides real relief. Wash your hands thoroughly. Use the tip of your finger to gently rub or massage the swollen gum for a minute or two. Many babies settle noticeably with this.

3. Cold, Damp Washcloth

Chill a clean, damp washcloth in the refrigerator, not the freezer and give it to your baby to chew on. The texture and cold combine the benefits of a firm teether and chilled relief. Simple and free.

4. Cold Foods for Babies Already on Solids

If your baby has started solid foods, typically from around 6 months, chilled foods like cold yogurt, chilled cucumber sticks (under supervision), or cold fruit puree can soothe inflamed gums. Always supervise any solid food to prevent choking.

5. Pain Relief Medication When Needed

A small dose of a child’s pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) for babies at least 2 months of age and ibuprofen (Motrin) for babies 6 months and older, may help your baby. Avoid giving ibuprofen to babies under 6 months, and always check with a doctor before any medication.

Use pain medication only when other measures are not providing relief, not as a first response to every fussy moment. Medications should be used only a few times when other home-care methods do not help. Don’t overuse medicine for teething—it can hide serious symptoms that need attention.

Never give aspirin to children. Never.

6. Distraction and Comfort

Your child's first baby teeth typically make an appearance between 6 and 10 months. During these months, your presence and engagement are genuine remedies. Extra cuddle time, a walk outside, a bath, and a new toy to explore distraction works because teething pain is intermittent, not constant.

What to Avoid - FDA and AAP Warnings

This section may be the most important in the entire article. Several products widely marketed for teething relief are actively dangerous.

Benzocaine Gels - Formally Warned Against by the FDA

Products including Baby Oradell, Anbesol, Harrison, and Orabase contain benzocaine, a topical numbing agent. These products feel intuitive, rub the gel on the gums, and numb the pain. But they carry serious risks.

The FDA warned that over-the-counter oral drug products containing benzocaine should not be used to treat infants and children younger than 2 years. These teething pain products pose serious risks and offer little actual relief for infants’ sore gums. 

Benzocaine can cause methemoglobinemia, a life-threatening condition in which the amount of oxygen carried through the blood is greatly reduced.

Between 2009 and 2017, FDA officials investigated 119 cases of blood disorder in children linked to benzocaine teething gel use.

There is also a practical problem beyond the safety one: the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that these gels and lotions may be useful, but they mix with saliva and are swallowed within a short time.

Do not use them. Not even once.

Lidocaine Products

Remedies with lidocaine, a prescription drug often used for mouth pain, are also unsafe for young children. They have been linked with heart problems, severe brain injury, seizures and even death.

Homeopathic Teething Tablets

In 2017, the FDA warned against certain homeopathic teething tablets after finding unsafe, inconsistent levels of toxic belladonna.

These tablets were linked to infant deaths. They are not recommended by the AAP, the FDA, or any credible pediatric authority.

Teething Jewellery - Necklaces, Bracelets, Anklets

Teething necklaces, bracelets, or anklets pose a risk of choking, strangling, mouth injury and infection of the skin. These products, including amber teething necklaces, have no clinical evidence of effectiveness and several documented cases of infant strangulation and choking. 

The FDA has specifically warned against them.

Alcohol

Never rub alcohol on your baby's gums. Alcohol applied to the gums enters a child’s bloodstream rapidly. This can have dangerous consequences, including seizures.

Caring for Your Baby's New Teeth

The moment the first tooth appears, oral care begins.

Start brushing immediately. Use a soft, infant-sized toothbrush twice a day. When your baby's first teeth appear, use a small, soft-bristle toothbrush to clean the teeth twice a day. You can start using a toothpaste containing fluoride, but only use an amount that's about the size of a grain of rice.

Before any teeth appear, run a soft, clean, damp cloth over your baby's gums after feeds. This removes milk residue and bacteria.

Never put your baby to sleep with a bottle. Milk or juice pooling in the mouth overnight causes early childhood tooth decay, sometimes called bottle caries, which can destroy newly erupted baby teeth remarkably fast.

Schedule the first dental visit for their first birthday or within 6 months of the first tooth. This is the AAP and American Academy of Pediatrics Dentistry recommendation. Early dental visits detect any issues, build a positive relationship with the dentist, and give you personalized oral care guidance for your baby.

When to Call Your Pediatrician

Baby teething symptoms are mild and manageable at home in most cases. But call your pediatrician if:

• Your baby has a fever above 38°C (100.4°F). This is not caused by teething
• Your baby has diarrhea, vomiting, or a rash on the body; these need assessment
• Your baby seems to be in significant pain that you cannot relieve with safe teething remedies
• Your baby is not eating or drinking adequately
• You see signs of infection around an erupting tooth, such as spreading redness, pus, swelling beyond the immediate tooth area
• Your baby has no teeth by 18 months. Mention it at the check-up, as it occasionally indicates an underlying issue.

Frequently Asked Questions — Baby Teething

When do babies start teething?

Most babies cut their first teeth between 4 and 7 months, though some start at 3 months and others after turning one. Both extremes are normal. The full set of 20 primary teeth typically arrives at age 3.

What are the real signs of baby teething?

 The genuine teething symptoms backed by research are drooling, chewing on objects, swollen, tender gums, mild fussiness, and mild temperature elevation, not a true fever. Diarrhea, high fever, vomiting, and significant crying are not teething symptoms.

Does teething cause fever?

No. Extensive studies show that high fever is not a teething symptom. A slight temperature elevation  not above 38°C may accompany teething. Any temperature above 38°C requires medical assessment. Do not assume it is teething.

What is the safest teething remedy?

A firm rubber teething ring chilled in the refrigerator, and a gentle gum massage with a clean finger. Both are recommended by the AAP. For additional relief, age-appropriate doses of infant paracetamol or ibuprofen can be used. Ask your pediatrician about dosing.

Are teething gels safe?

No. The FDA formally warned against benzocaine teething gels, including Baby Orajel and Anbesol, for children under 2. Benzocaine can cause methemoglobinemia, a potentially fatal blood condition. These products also wash away in saliva within minutes, making them ineffective as well as unsafe.

Are amber teething necklaces effective?

No. There is no clinical evidence that amber teething necklaces reduce teething pain. They carry genuine safety risks — choking, strangulation, and skin infection. The FDA has warned against all teething jewellery.

How long does each teething episode last?

Individual teething episodes for a single tooth typically last a few days to a week. Total teething activity runs from around 6 months to 3 years as all 20 primary teeth emerge.

When should my baby see a dentist for the first time? By their first birthday, or within 6 months of the first tooth appearing, whichever comes first. This is the guidance from both the AAP and the American Academy of Pediatrics Dentistry.

Conclusion

Baby teething is one of the most universal parenting experiences and one of the most misunderstood. The drool is real. Fussiness is real. Chewing on everything within reach is very real.

But the remedies that help are simple: a chilled rubber teether, a clean finger massage, and, when needed, appropriate infant pain relief. The products that seem like they should help, numbing gels, teething necklaces, and homeopathic tablets, are either ineffective, actively dangerous, or both.

Stay with the evidence. Skip the marketing. And take comfort in knowing that every tooth that comes through is one fewer still to come.

Sources

1.    AAP HealthyChildren.org - Teething Pain Relief: healthychildren.org

2.    Mayo Clinic -Teething: Tips for Soothing Sore Gums (December 2024): mayoclinic.org

3.    FDA -Safely Soothing Teething Pain in Infants and Children: fda.gov

4.    FDA Drug Safety Communication - Benzocaine Warning (2018): fda.gov

5.    WebMD - Teething in Babies: Symptoms and Remedies (May 2024): webmd.com

6.    MedicineNet -Teething: Age, Symptoms, Medications and Home Remedies (October 2024): medicinenet.com

7.    Poison Control -  Teething Gels: A Warning: poison.org

8.    Brown University Health - Teething and Medications: brownhealth.org

For a full picture of your baby's first year, visit our Baby Care Guide. For newborn skin issues alongside teething drool rash, read our Newborn Dry Skin guide. For baby development month by month, see our Baby Milestones Month by Month guide.