What are the signs that a baby is teething?

The signs most babies show, in some combination

• Heavier drooling than usual, sometimes enough to need a bib change more often through the day
• Gnawing and chewing on fingers, toys, or anything else within reach
• A tender, slightly puffy gum right at the spot the tooth is working toward
• Rubbing at the cheek or ear on the same side as the emerging tooth, since the discomfort can radiate that direction
• A shorter fuse than usual, more clinginess, or a dip in interest at mealtimes for a day or two
• Sleep that breaks up more than it has lately, even for a baby who was previously sleeping well

Most babies show a handful of these rather than all of them, and the mix can shift from one tooth to the next in the very same child.

It depends on the baby and which tooth is on its way

A first tooth sometimes brings the most noticeable reaction simply because everything about it is new, both for the baby and for the gum tissue itself. Molars, arriving later, are wider than the front teeth and often felt more than the early ones were, even in a baby who barely reacted the first time around.

Duration varies just as much as intensity. A tooth can announce itself for the better part of a week or arrive with barely a ripple, and neither pace says anything about the teeth still to come. Our babies page covers more of what this whole first year tends to look like.

What teething does not typically explain

It is worth knowing where the line sits, since a new tooth and an unrelated illness can easily land in the same week. Mainstream pediatric sources generally do not connect teething to a true fever, vomiting, diarrhea, a rash, or a baby who seems genuinely unwell rather than simply uncomfortable. Ear pulling that continues on its own, without any of the gnawing or gum tenderness described above, deserves a second look too, since it can point toward an ear infection rather than a tooth.

When any of that shows up, treat it as its own thing rather than folding it into a teething explanation.

When this stops being a search and becomes a phone call

Ordinary teething discomfort does not need an urgent call anywhere. A different picture is worth acting on rather than waiting out.

• A true fever, rather than just feeling warm to the touch
• Vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash showing up alongside the fussiness
• Crying that will not settle with holding, cold pressure on the gum, or the usual comfort measures
• Refusing fluids or noticeably fewer wet diapers than usual

Any of those calls for your pediatrician first. For the tooth itself, or any question about what is normal for your baby, one number reaches both of our offices, and a real person answers: (239) 482-2722. More parent questions like this one live at our quick answers page.