Teething gets blamed for almost everything in the second half of the first year - fevers, diarrhoea, sleep regressions, sudden clinginess. Some of that reputation is deserved. A lot of it isn't.
Here's what teething actually causes, roughly when to expect it, and what helps versus what's just folklore.
The real timeline
A baby with no teeth at 10 months and a baby with four teeth at 8 months are both completely normal - the range is wide, and it doesn't predict anything about later dental health.
- Most babies get their first tooth between 6 and 10 months, though anywhere from 4 to 12 months is normal
- Bottom front teeth (central incisors) usually arrive first
- By around 12 months, most babies have 4-8 teeth
- The full set of 20 baby teeth typically isn't complete until closer to age 2-3
What teething actually causes
- Drooling, and lots of it
- Gnawing and chewing on everything within reach
- Swollen, tender gums - sometimes with a visible bruised-looking bump before the tooth breaks through
- Mild irritability, particularly in the day or two before a tooth emerges
- A slightly raised temperature (under 38°C) - genuine fever is not a teething symptom
What it probably isn't causing
Despite the reputation, current paediatric guidance is that teething does not cause high fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, or a bad cough. Babies are teething for months at a time, and also catching ordinary illnesses at the same time - the two get blamed on each other constantly. If your baby has a temperature over 38°C or is genuinely unwell, treat it as an illness and see a GP, not as "just teeth".
What actually helps
- A chilled (not frozen) teething ring or washcloth to chew on
- Firm, gentle gum massage with a clean finger
- Age-appropriate pain relief (paracetamol or ibuprofen) if they're genuinely uncomfortable - check dosing with your pharmacist or GP
- Teething gels are generally not recommended by Australian guidelines - many contain ingredients not considered necessary or fully safe for infants
It passes tooth by tooth
Teething is genuinely one of the more drawn-out parts of the first two years, but it comes in waves - a rough few days around each new tooth, then a return to normal until the next one. It's not a constant state, even when it feels that way.
If you're tracking symptoms to work out whether it's teeth or something else, the pattern (comes and goes, worse right before a tooth appears, no real fever) is the most useful clue you have.