Fact Checked

Baby's Teething Fever: Can a Baby Teething Cause a Fever?

Written by Dr. Gibbz

December 15, 2022

Medically Reviewed

By Dr. James Younan, DDS

When we think about a baby, we imagine a cute little bundle of joy. What we don't imagine is a baby with a high fever and crying. Teething plays a huge role in your child's life and helps shape the features of the face and the ability to transition from soft foods to chewable foods. But, does a teething baby develop teething fever?

Teething

The early signs of teething start with excessive drooling at about three months of age. The first teeth come into the mouth at around six months of age, and they are typically the lower central incisors, and lower front teeth. Teething should not cause your child to have fever symptoms.

Yes, your child will be irritated and will be uncomfortable, but the baby's temperature should not warrant fevers. If your child has a mild fever, you can try to use Acetaminophen, better known as Tylenol.

You should always consult with your primary care provider if your child develops fever symptoms as the teething may mask an unrelated illness.

When do teeth develop?

When your child is born, they should already have all 20 of their primary teeth, also known as baby teeth, in their mouth. The teeth just have not erupted yet. As each month goes by, you may start to notice a small bump in the mouth which will eventually lead to a tooth erupting from it. This can be uncomfortable as the tooth needs to break through the gums to erupt into the mouth. Let's talk about some options to help soothe your baby's gums.

babys teething fever, baby drooling and holding cloth to mouth


Teething rings and things to help babies

When your child has teeth erupting into the mouth, the gums can be very sensitive and cause gum pain. Sore gums in a baby's mouth can cause issues with eating and sleeping. Here are some options to help.

Teething rings

These guys are great. Teething rings can be rinsed with water and placed in the freezer for 30 minutes, to avoid causing brain freeze, and this cool teething ring can help numb your child's irritated gums and provide a soothing sensation to address teething discomfort.

These teething rings are typically made of solid rubber and can be made into teething necklaces. You can also get liquid-filled teething rings to give your child the ultimate comfort and cooling experience.

Frost oral care for kids


Wet washcloth

A wet washcloth can also help soothe your child's teething pain. Simply take a clean wash cloth and add some water to it. You can place it in the freezer to cool the cloth more and then allow your child to simply chew on it to soothe gum pain from the erupting new teeth.

What not to do:

So by now, you can see that we always recommend soft, cool objects in the mouth to help with teething and to soothe teething symptoms. However, there are things that many parents do that should be avoided. Let's dive into the things to avoid.

 

Do not use Numbing gels

Numbing gels are great for non-teething children, older children, and adults. If your child is teething, you want to avoid placing teething gels on their gums because the gel can get into your child's bloodstream and can cause other symptoms.

Also, your child may swallow the gel and make your baby sick, or can cause diarrhea. If you recall, I said that early signs of teething cause an increase in saliva and drooling. If you place numbing gels on teething gums, the excess saliva may dilute it and wash it away before it has any time to actually have an effect.

My recommendation is to just stay away from these gels for your teething children.

Teething Fever

Teething fever is a myth in my opinion. I feel that teething does not cause a fever. If your child has a true fever, it is best you seek medical attention and not assume it is a direct result of your baby's teething. Most children get fevers at a young age as their immune system is developing.

Also, your child may have other issues such as an ear infections, urinary tract infections, or bad diaper rashes. Wellness professionals are here to help you, so please seek their aid to understand what some of the common symptoms are for teething babies and manage your child's health conditions.

Summary

To sum all of this up for you, there are certain symptoms of teething that are normal for a baby. In my opinion, teething does not cause a fever, but it will cause the baby to feel fussy and irritable. Thankfully, there are home remedies you can try at home to help soothe your baby as their little teeth come in.

FAQs

Is it normal for my baby to drool?

At around three months, your child will start to drool more often as the mouth gets ready for some new teeth to erupt. The drooling can cause irritation on your child's skin as they sleep.

To help prevent this, you can place a small amount of petroleum jelly around the corners of your baby's mouth to allow the drooling saliva to flow over the jelly and protect your baby's skin from irritation.

Around when will my baby's first tooth erupt?

At around six months of age, a new tooth erupts in the lower front area of the mouth. It first should start out as a small bump on the gums and then you should see a tooth piercing through the gums. We recommend that once the first tooth is in the mouth, you take your child to see the dentist.

When should my baby have their first dentist visit?

Although there isn't much for the dentist to look at, the dentist will be focusing on giving you parenting tips on how to manage the teeth as they erupt into the mouth. This is an invaluable service as it will help teach you how to manage your child oral health as they grow.

For example, the dentist may tell you to use clean finger and a moist gauze pad or a cool washcloth to wipe your baby's teeth after meals. This is the beginning stages of brushing teeth. Also, this helps get your child more comfortable with someone looking into their mouth or cleaning their teeth.

Over time, this will help make dental visits smoother and home oral hygiene routines easier as well.

Should I get a teething ring or numbing gel?

Teething rings are great for your baby. They help massage the gums and you can also run them under some water and cool them in a freezer. Some teething rings come with liquid in them to freeze better.

You can also use a wet washcloth to accomplish the same thing. The cool object helps to numb the sore gums. Do not use teething gels to soothe sore gums as this can get into your child's bloodstream or it can be swallowed causing other symptoms to arise.

What to do if my baby has a fever?

If your child has a fever, seek medical care as there might be an underlining condition that you are not aware of. They will most likely advise you to give your child Tylenol to help reduce the fever, but we need to know what is causing the fever.

Is teething fever a myth?

In my opinion, baby teething fever is mythic and there is typically something else going on with the baby to cause the fever. If your baby's body temperature is high, it they have a runny nose, or other signs of an illness, do not assume it is the teething process. Seek medical advice and ensure your child's fever is managed.

If a fever is consistent and not addressed, it can cause issues with tooth eruption and effect the primary teeth as they begin to erupt into the mouth.

- Dr. James Younan, DDS
(AKA Dr. Gibbz, Public Health Dentist)

 

Disclaimer:

This article is for educational purposes only and there is no doctor/patient relationship being established by reading this article. Always consult with your dentist or primary care provider. This article is not intended to offer medical or dental advice to anyone, it is not intended to diagnose any medical or dental conditions that you may have. There are no warranties and/or guarantees being made with the information being presented in this article.