All You Need To Know About Teething

All You Need to Know About Teething

Teething is one of those milestones that can feel both exciting and exhausting. On one hand, those first little teeth are a big step in your baby’s development. On the other, it can be a time of sore gums, unsettled days, and disrupted nights, which is tough on everyone.

Over the years, teething has been blamed for just about everything. Historically, it was even listed as a cause of death on some infant death certificates before the mid-19th century. Of course, we now know this wasn’t true. At a time when medical knowledge was limited, many serious illnesses were misunderstood, and because babies start cutting teeth around six months and continue on and off for years, teething often happened to coincide with periods of illness. It became an easy explanation when no one was quite sure what else was going on.

Some of those old beliefs have lingered, even though we now understand a lot more about what teething really does, and just as importantly, what it doesn’t do.

So let’s look at what’s actually normal.

Dribbling

Most parents notice a big increase in drool when their baby is teething. This happens because the body produces more saliva in response to hot, swollen gums. The extra saliva helps cool and soothe the area.

Some babies will soak through tops and bibs in no time, while others barely drool at all. Both can be completely normal.

Changes in Stools

You might notice your baby’s nappies look a bit different during teething. Because your baby is producing and swallowing more saliva, this can change the consistency of their stool. The enzymes in saliva can make stools looser and more mucousy, sometimes with a greenish colour and a stronger smell.

This can look worrying, but on its own it’s often just part of the teething picture. If you ever see blood, ongoing diarrhoea, or your child seems unwell, that’s a different story and worth checking with your doctor.

Sore Bottom

Those same enzymes in saliva can irritate the skin, which is why some babies get more nappy rash or a red, sore bottom during teething.

Babies who drool a lot can also become a little more prone to dehydration, which can make their urine more concentrated and irritating on the skin. Offering regular drinks of water, especially for older babies, and using a good barrier cream can really help protect their skin.

Sore Ears

The nerve pathways in the gums are shared with those in the ears, which is why some babies rub their ears or seem bothered by them when they’re teething. It doesn’t always mean there’s an ear infection, but it can look very similar.

Extra saliva can also sometimes contribute to blocked ears because of how narrow the Eustachian tube is in young children. If your baby is poking at their ears a lot, shaking their head, or seems particularly uncomfortable, it’s always sensible to have their ears checked by your GP to rule out infection.

Toothache and Gum Pain

Most of the discomfort happens before the tooth actually breaks through the gum. The pressure, swelling, and inflammation in the lead-up is usually the hardest part, and it often lasts a couple of days around each tooth.

Once the tooth has come through, many babies settle again quite quickly. You can help by offering appropriate pain relief if needed, using teething gels or cold teethers, and giving lots of comfort and cuddles.

Teething and Sleep

Teething itself isn’t a “sleep problem”, but the discomfort that comes with it can definitely affect sleep. A sore, unsettled baby is more likely to wake and need extra reassurance.

Usually, once the tooth has come through and the discomfort settles, sleep returns to how it was before. If your child continues to wake frequently after the teething phase has passed, it may be that a new sleep association has formed or that they’re moving through a developmental sleep change rather than teething being the ongoing cause.

A Gentle Reassurance

Teething can be a tricky phase, and it’s hard to watch your child in discomfort, especially when you’re not getting much sleep yourself. The good news is that it does pass, even though it doesn’t always feel like it in the moment.

And just when you think you’ve got through it, you’re onto the next stage, working out how to keep those shiny new teeth from biting everything in sight.