Teething: NHS Guidance on Symptoms, Safe Relief and What to Avoid

Teething is one of those baby milestones that arrives with a lot of folklore attached. This guide focuses on everyday comfort and soothing — for anything about medicines, dosing, or whether symptoms are actually related to teething, a pharmacist, health visitor or GP is the right person to ask, rather than general guidance online.

What teething often looks like

According to NHS guidance, common signs that a baby is teething include red cheeks, sore and red gums, and a tendency to put their hands or other objects into their mouth more than usual, often accompanied by increased dribbling. These symptoms cluster around the emergence of each new tooth rather than persisting constantly through the teething period as a whole.

A rough timeline

NHS guidance sets out an approximate — not fixed — order and timing for tooth emergence: central incisors (the front teeth) are usually first, typically around six months, followed by lateral incisors around eight months, first molars around 12 months, and canines around 18 months. Every baby’s timeline varies, and starting later than these averages isn’t automatically a cause for concern.

Comfort and soothing

NHS-recommended everyday comfort measures include:

• Teething rings — giving your baby something safe to chew can ease discomfort and provide a helpful distraction; some can be cooled in the fridge first (not frozen solid) to add a soothing effect.
• Gentle gum massage — using a clean finger to rub the gum gently can offer some relief for certain babies.

For anything beyond these everyday comfort measures — including whether a medicine like infant paracetamol or ibuprofen is appropriate, and at what dose — that’s a question for a pharmacist or GP, who can advise based on your baby’s age, weight and any other medication. Always follow the product packaging and a pharmacist or GP’s guidance rather than a general age given online.

Products and safety considerations

Not every teething product on the market is considered appropriate by current safety guidance. Amber teething necklaces, for instance, carry a choking and strangulation risk and aren’t recommended, regardless of claims made about their soothing properties. Teething gels containing certain ingredients also come with age restrictions and should only be used strictly according to packaging guidance or pharmacist advice — not assumed safe simply because they’re marketed for babies.

When something feels different from “just teething”

Mild teething discomfort is common and doesn’t usually need anything beyond the comfort measures above. But teething shouldn’t be assumed to explain everything — if your baby seems unwell in a way that doesn’t feel like straightforward teething, or you’re simply not sure, a health visitor, pharmacist or GP can assess that properly. This article is general information, not a way to work out what’s going on with your specific baby.

Caring for new teeth once they’ve arrived

Once teeth start coming through, oral care needs to begin alongside managing teething discomfort itself. NHS guidance recommends starting to brush a baby’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears, using fluoride toothpaste appropriate for their age, applied with a small, soft baby toothbrush, brushing twice a day. Establishing this routine early, even before a full set of teeth has emerged, helps make brushing a normal part of the daily routine rather than something introduced later as a new and unfamiliar activity a toddler may resist more strongly. After brushing, NHS guidance recommends spitting out the toothpaste rather than rinsing with water, so a small residue of fluoride stays on the teeth.

It’s also worth thinking ahead to a first dental check-up. NHS guidance recommends taking a child to the dentist when their first milk teeth appear, or before they turn one year old, rather than waiting until a specific later age milestone. NHS dental care is free for children under 18 (or under 19 if in full-time education), which removes one common barrier to starting these check-ups early.

Sources

• NHS — Baby teething symptoms
• NHS — Tips for helping your teething baby
• NHS — Looking after your baby’s teeth