When Does Teething Start? Symptoms and Solutions
Hello, hello!
Teeth are a big topic in my house, where we have my older boys losing teeth and my littlest one still getting some in. My years of experience have taught me that teething is one of those things that’s different for every baby: with some of mine I had no clue teeth were coming in and others were much more bothered by the process. When does teething start? Usually between 4 to 12 months, when their first teeth are sprouting up, and also in the second year, when their molars are cutting through their gums. If your baby is around this age, keep watching!
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Here are some things commonly-known symptoms and remedies for teething:
Baby Teething Symptoms:
- Drooling/Swelling of Cheeks/”Drool Rash”
- Gum Swelling and Sensitivity
- Irritability or Fussiness
- Biting
- Sleep Disruptions
How to Sooth a Teething Baby:
Try these at home remedies to soothe your baby’s aching gums!
- Cool Foods to Eat or Chew On
- Cold Washcloth
- Teething Toys
- Age-Appropriate Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen (Check with your doctor)
For more on teething and how to make it less painful for your baby and for you, watch my vlog!
What worked for you in battling teething discomfort in your little one? What was your teething timeline like? Comment below!
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Comments
Jessica Hansen
I never knew my daughter was teething until I saw a tooth start to come through. She handled it very well but she would have her fussy moments. What worked best for me were Teething Tablets! They are a miracle in a bottle! When my daughter would see me reach for them, she got really happy because she new relief was coming quickly 🙂
Melissa Lawrence
Thanks Jessica, I never tried these! Glad they worked! xo Melissa
Tami
I have found the Hyland’s Teething Tablets to be very helpful, and some wine doesn’t huet either! Not for the baby,for me!
Ireland77L
We are battling it right now. We havent found anything yet that really helps.
Tarrah M
I am just starting the teething game with my third child. The first 2 were so easy with teething but this poor little girl is very uncomfortable. We let her chew on cool wash cloths and teethers.
Wendy
What really helped me was teething biscuits, even though I was nervous since she was only 5 months. I also used wet cloths, a wet little washcloth with distilled water worked for me too. She didn’t care for all or any of the teething toys. She is still teething so she puts her fingers in her mouth too.
Susan
Hyland’s Teething Tablets were super helpful when my son was teething. He also enjoyed chewing on fruit in the mesh teething feeders.
Nicole
We used Hylands Teething tablets to help ease the pain. We also found some silicone teething rings that have different textures and are really flexible so she was able to get them were she needed to bite!
Amanda
Frozen fruit. Cherries, blueberries, and bananas are all favorites. I buy them already frozen in the freezer section, pop a few cherries or blueberries into one of those mesh pacifer-type things, and ta-da! Happy baby, happy mommy. I also make my own banana pops; cut a banana into 3 or 4 pieces, stick on a popcicle stick and freeze. These work for both my 7 month old and my 22 month old, who is getting molars. 🙂
Jen
Hyland’s teething tablets are absolutely amazing! I do teething tablets and sometimes Tylenol if she is extra fussy. I’ve tried teethers, frozen apple juice and momcicles, but she seems to like chewing on her hands most of the time!
trisha mcfarland
My daughter had numbing drops that were for her ears when she had ear infections…the doctor told me that they were also safe to rub on her gums which worked great! She also loves chewing on anything…her ChewBeads, her favorite stuffed toy…her shirt! 🙂
Jeanine C
My 7 month old currently going through a very hard time teething right now. Her cheeks are so red and she is just miserable all the time!! She loves the little mesh feeders filled with ice or frozen B Milk cubes. Her favorite thing to chew on is my hand … I have tried about every single teething toy.. They all have been turned down except one that vibrates, made by My First Years (?)… I don’t know, but my son had one just like that and he loved it, too!
Thank you for the giveaway! We’ve been wanting to try the Plum teething products!
Lisa
Camillia works wonderful for my lil 11 month old girl! She already has 8 teeth!
Brittanni
We’re currently dealing with teething, my son is so much different than my daughter was with this. He’s pitiful really. She act most got a fever (controlled easily), a bit of an upset tummy. He on the other hand is the slowest teether. My heart has just been breaking. He’s been at 8 teeth for months then a few weeks ago he started getting more irritable, sleep pattern has been destroyed, and he’s just cried. Out of frustration and pain. It’s been tough. Nothing seems to soothe him long enough!
Ashley
We know when my daughter is teething because she gets very very fussy and agitated easily. She also will refuse foods we know she loves. What works for us is a wet wash cloth placed in the freezer for a little bit. She doesn’t really care for teething rings. We’ve also found that Hyland’s teething tablets work well for her.
LoriS
I have been wondering the exact same thing with my 6-month-old. She has been drooling a lot and wanting to chew on things, but she just had a checkup a few days ago, and the pediatrician said no signs of teeth yet. With my oldest, I used teething gel, but it didn’t seem to help a lot. I don’t recall him having a major issue with teething, though. I will need to stock up on teething supplies for my baby soon. Guess I will give those teething tablets a try. They seem to be popular.
Melissa Lawrence
Good luck, you will get through it! Thanks for commenting! xo M
Kate
I have a question about the cold wash cloth as a solution to aid teething discomfort. Would you just wet it with tap/bottled water or would you wet it with boiled water?
Melissa Lawrence
Kate, if you are very careful about the water you give your baby, by all means boil and then chill the water. I’m sure most moms use tap water, this is a personal choice thing… good luck! xo M
brook
My son always seemed to be teething like crazy for the longest time before any teeth ever actually showed up! It was a long process for every round of teeth and I have sympathy for everyone going through it. I’d stick just about anything in the fridge that he liked to chew on, including wash cloths and some of his non-teether toys that often made it into his mouth. Sometimes OTC pain meds were the only thing that got us through the night.
Melissa Lawrence
Thanks for commenting, Brook!!
AndreaN
I hate to be a product pusher – but I LOVE my teething necklaces from ChewBeads! It’s so helpful with you’ve got a cranky one and you’re stuck at a restaurant trying to have a meal or conversation with another. My daughter loves necklaces and always wanted to chew on whatever was on my wrist or around my neck. They rocked!
Luckily besides always wanted to gnaw on something, we’ve had it pretty easy so far – knock on wood!! I try to avoid medicines and tablets and been luckily enough to not need them yet. Have used many a frozen teether, frozen washcloth, and teething biscuits though. Very excited to add Plums new product to our lineup.
Melissa Lawrence
Going to take special note of this! Thanks for the great tip!
Aileen
So far we’ve used some teething toys and Tylenol. No teeth yet, though!
MammaIndy
Amber teething necklace works wonders for us. It seems hokey but it really helps. We forgot to put it on one day and wow… Dylan was very irritable! Then it happened one more time and we learned to make sure it’s on him every day! He’s cutting his 1st 6 teeth within a months time and he’s actually handling it really well. A touch more fussy but not bad at all. I think he’s actually drooling less now.
Another option is clove oil mixed with coconut oil (I have heard others use olive or other oils but we like the coconut since it gets firm like a paste.) I think we used about 5 drops in about 5 tablespoons of coconut oil… you don’t need much, it’s powerful. You can even make your own clove oil if you search on the web for a recipe and find it difficult to find nearby.
Melissa Lawrence
Awesome, awesome tips! Please keep ’em coming!! xo M
Vanessa Villanueva
My baby prefers to chew on toys made of fabric (not furry toys because the fur would get in her mouth). She always has one with her. We take the animals that dangle from her playmat and clip them to her stroller when we go out. She prefers these to actual teething toys.
Amanda Carney
We’ve found that orajel, Tylenol, and crackers are our best friends when cutting teeth!
Katherine
My girls both used Amber necklaces that really seemed to help. I also froze wet wash cloths to let them suck/chew on. And lots of extra nursing for comfort :-/
Melissa Lawrence
Freezing the wash cloths, awesome tips!
Bethany
Hyland’s teething tablets work well when the pain isn’t too bad. When it’s really bad, baby ibuprofen/tylenol alternated.
Jen
I froze my milk into Popsicle containers- my LO LOVED this during teething!
Natalie
We have loved putting ice and frozen bananas in a mesh teether. Out son really enjoys his sippy cup with ice water in it. He’s able to stay hydrated after drooling so much and cool his sore gums. He will chew on it. It’s been tough as he’s so uncomfortable but we will get through it!
Sally from Little Hiccups
My oldest daughter seemed to suffer quite a lot during teething. I found that Weleda Baby Teething Powder worked wonders for her. It can be given mixed with warm water or just applied directly to the gums. I usually went with the second method as my daughter was quite a bit older when she started getting teeth (11 months) and was used to eating.
When my second daughter was about 4 months old I bought an amber teething necklace for her to wear. I’d thought about getting one for my oldest but had been a little unsure about the seemingly “magical” healing powers of amber! It all seemed a little hippy to me 😉 I did a lot of research in between kids and was quite keen to give it a try the second time around. Either the amber did indeed work wonders or my second daughter just didn’t suffer during her teething as she never needed any pain relief – not even the Weleda Baby Teething Powder which we’d gone through several jars of with my oldest.
I’m due to have another baby this year and the amber necklace will definitely be getting put to use again – with a jar of Weleda Baby Teething Powder in the sidelines, just incase 🙂
Melissa Lawrence
super awesome entry with so much info, thanks for taking the time to share this! xo M
Jenny Barbee
My son was starting on purées when his first two teeth came in. Cold purée carrots and sweet potatoes not only satisfied his tummy, but were a thicker consistency to gum. He also liked chewing on Sophie the giraffe.
Melissa Lawrence
Such nice, simple remedies. Love!
Ashley Allen
I never knew when my oldest was cutting new teeth. My almost 1yr old is a different story. We do teething tablets, chewing toys, etc. This is the 3rd article I’ve read today about teething…must be a sign that more teeth are coming soon 😉
Melissa Lawrence
It’s the invasion of the teeth!
MrsDawnATurner
I had great success with Hyland’s Natural Gum number combined with a whole lot of Popsicles. LOADS of Popsicles. I would used children’s Tylenol at nap and bed time. Did I mention Popsicles?
Melissa Lawrence
Popsicles are the best! Now if only I could spell the word!
Marya Mann
She likes to chew on my finger and loves my silicone teething necklace! We also do cold rags and teethers 🙂
Jackie Hall
We swear by our Baltic Amber teething necklace!!
Melissa Lawrence
Jackie, you’re not the only one to recommend this, great tip!
Melissa Lawrence
We have picked our winner — the comments on this post were simply FAB! I will try to turn this into a printable list or we will write a separate post b/c you guys ROCK and this information is so helpful! Thank you so much for stopping by and please stay tuned!! xoxo Melissa
DebbieO
My baby is 4 1/2 months and all of a sudden she is waking up every hour on the hour and is crying a fussing. I know that she’s teething because she has been drooling for over a month now and she shoves anything she can in her mouth. She is exclusively breastfed and so when she wakes up, I have been comforting her by feeding her. This has been going on for the past 4 days. Do you have any tips to help her sleep so that we can get some sleep? Thanks.