Teething

Teething is a normal part of infant and child development. When your baby starts teething, they may be irritable during the day and sleepless at night. (And you might be too!)

Here’s what to expect and how to keep your baby comfortable.

When Does Teething Start?

Your baby was born with all 20 primary teeth below their gums. They typically start to come through between 6 and 12 months, although the exact timing can vary between children. Children usually have their full set of baby teeth in place by age 3.

Teething symptoms

Normal teething symptoms:

• Fussiness
• Trouble sleeping
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Drooling more than usual

Teething symptoms that are not normal and are reasons to call your pediatrician:

• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Rash

How to soothe a teething baby

Your child may have sore or tender gums when their teeth begin to erupt.

To safely soothe your baby’s teething pain:

• Gently rub their gums with a clean finger, a small cool spoon, or a moist gauze pad.
• Offer your child a clean teether to chew on. Look for teethers made of solid rubber and avoid liquid-filled teething rings or plastic objects that could break. Always watch your child while they are using a teething ring, so they don’t accidentally choke.

Don’t use necklaces or bracelets to soothe teething pain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of death and serious injuries to infants and children, including strangulation and choking, caused by teething jewelry such as amber teething necklaces.

Always be aware of what teethers are made from. Just because something is marketed as a teether doesn't mean it's safe. In a September 2017 report, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published a case report of an infant who suffered lead poisoning after chewing on a bracelet. The bracelet — a homeopathic magnetic hematite health bracelet intended to help ease the child's discomfort from teething — had metal beads that contained lead.

Are numbing gels or teething tablets safe for babies?

Seeking to ease your child’s discomfort, you might think creams, gels, and homeopathic teething tablets are good options.

However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against soothing your child’s gums with numbing gels that contain benzocaine or lidocaine. These products should not be used in children under 3, as they offer little to no benefit and are associated with serious risks, including injury and death.

Using benzocaine on your teething child can lead to a serious — and sometimes fatal — condition called methemoglobinemia, in which the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells is greatly reduced. Benzocaine is the active ingredient in over-the-counter products such as Anbesol, Cepacol, Chloraseptic, HurriCaine, Orabase, Orajel, and Topex.

Using a prescription lidocaine solution on your teething child can cause heart problems, severe brain injury and even death. In addition, if too much is applied or accidentally swallowed, your child can experience seizures.

The FDA also urges against using homeopathic teething tablets, which have not been evaluated or approved for safety or effectiveness. Lab testing of homeopathic teething tablets has found inconsistent amounts of belladonna, a toxic substance, that sometimes far exceed the amount claimed on the label. This poses an unnecessary risk to your teething baby, and all homeopathic teething tablets should be avoided and thrown out.

If you have any questions about how to relieve your child’s teething symptoms, talk to your dentist or pediatrician.