Teething & dental

Lots of babies drool and chew on their hands at 3 months — and it usually isn't teething. Early drooling is normal development as the salivary glands switch on, and most first teeth arrive around 6 months. Here's what's going on.

A dip in appetite for a day or two around a new tooth is normal — sore gums make sucking and chewing uncomfortable. Here's how to keep your teething baby fed and comfortable, and when a feeding change is about more than teeth.

A slightly raised temperature can come with teething, but a true fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher) is never just teething — it's a separate illness. Here's what's normal, and the temperature thresholds that mean call your pediatrician.

Drooling, gum-chewing, and crankiness point to teething; a real fever, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, or a baby who seems genuinely unwell point to illness. Here's how to tell teething from a sick baby — reassurance first, red flags clear.

Most babies get their first tooth around 6 months, but anywhere from 4 to 12 months is normal, and a late first tooth is almost never a problem. Here's the wide-but-normal range, and the one age worth mentioning at a checkup.

Why baby teeth matter, how to clean gums before any teeth appear, the rice-grain smear of fluoride toothpaste at the first tooth, why the first dental visit belongs at age one, and how to head off baby-bottle decay.

When teeth come in, what teething really does (and doesn't) cause, and which relief is safe versus risky. The short version: cold and clean fingers work; benzocaine gels and amber necklaces are out — and a real fever is never just teething.