• Little Regent Nursery
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Teething in Babies: Signs and Soothing

Teething gets blamed for almost everything in a baby's first two years, which is a shame, because it makes the genuine signs harder to spot. Most babies cut their first tooth somewhere between five and nine months, though a few arrive with one already through and a few wait until well past their first birthday. All of those are normal.

The usual order is the two bottom front teeth, then the two top front, then outwards from there, with the full set of twenty milk teeth generally in place by around two and a half years.

Teething makes a baby uncomfortable and clingy. It does not make them properly ill - worth remembering when you are deciding whether to call the doctor.

Signs that really are teething

  • A great deal more dribbling than usual, sometimes with a rash on the chin from the wetness
  • Chewing and gnawing on hands, toys, cot bars, your shoulder - anything firm
  • A red, swollen patch of gum, occasionally with a small bluish blister over the tooth
  • One flushed cheek on the side the tooth is coming through
  • Broken sleep and more crying, particularly in the evening
  • Being generally out of sorts and wanting to be held more than usual
  • A slightly reduced appetite, especially for anything that needs chewing

What genuinely helps

Counter-pressure is the main thing that works. A clean finger rubbed firmly along the gum, a solid silicone teething ring chilled in the fridge, or a chunky teething toy your baby can steer to the right spot themselves. For babies already on solids, a cold cucumber baton or a chilled piece of soft fruit in a mesh feeder can be very welcome - always with an adult watching.

Keep a soft cloth handy and pat the chin dry regularly to head off a dribble rash, and use a thin barrier cream if the skin is getting sore. Extra cuddles and a slightly earlier bedtime are not indulgent; they are practical. If your baby is clearly in pain, infant paracetamol or ibuprofen may be appropriate - but check with your pharmacist or doctor about the right product and dose for your baby's age and weight.

Avoid amber teething necklaces and any bracelet worn by a baby: they carry a real strangulation and choking risk and there is no evidence they help. Skip teething gels containing sugar, and never rub anything alcoholic on the gums.

When to call your doctor

Teething does not cause a high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash on the body, or a baby who is floppy and hard to rouse. If any of those appear, treat them as illness in their own right and seek medical advice rather than waiting for a tooth. The same applies to refusing all feeds, or crying that you simply cannot settle.

Start brushing early

As soon as the first tooth appears, wipe or brush it twice a day with a smear of fluoride toothpaste on a soft baby brush. Making it part of the morning and bedtime routine from the very first tooth saves a great deal of negotiation later on.

Our Waddle Ducks and Tiny Toucans rooms at Little Regent Nursery are staffed by educators who know exactly what an uncomfortable teething day looks like, and we have a full-time registered nurse on site with an on-call doctor if anything needs a closer look. Everything we notice goes into your child's daily record, so you know how the day really went. Contact us to arrange a visit and meet the team who would be caring for your baby.

A baby chewing on a chilled silicone teething ring
A nursery educator comforting an unsettled baby in the infant room