Baby care

Teething: the truth behind the drool

4 min read · MyBloomingBelly editorial

The first tooth usually arrives around 6 months — though anywhere from 3 to 14 months is normal, and a late first tooth predicts nothing except a later date with the toothbrush. Usually the two bottom-front teeth lead, and the set fills in over the next two years.

Real teething signs: rivers of drool, gnawing on everything within reach, red or swollen gums, flushed cheeks, extra fussiness, and sometimes a slightly raised temperature. Now the important myth-check: teething does not cause true fever (38°C or higher), diarrhoea, vomiting or refusal of all feeds. Those symptoms mean something else — usually an ordinary infection — and blaming the tooth delays care. When in doubt, treat the symptom as real and see the fever article’s rules.