Can Teething Cause Fever or Diarrhea?

What can teething actually cause?

A tooth moving through the gum can make one area swollen or tender. Your baby may drool more, chew on fingers and toys, or seem mildly uncomfortable. Saliva can also irritate the skin around the mouth. Some babies, however, cut a tooth with almost no noticeable symptoms.

Timing alone cannot identify the cause. Teething and common infections often happen during the same stage of infancy, so a visible tooth does not explain every new symptom.

A true fever needs its own explanation

Feeling your baby's forehead is not an accurate fever check. Use a digital thermometer and record the number, time and where the temperature was taken. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) defines a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher as a fever and notes that a slight temperature rise from teething stays within the normal range.

If your baby is 3 months old or younger and has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, call the pediatrician immediately—even if your baby otherwise seems well. For an older baby, do not assume a measured fever is from teeth; contact the pediatrician if your baby looks ill, is getting worse or has other concerning symptoms.

Diarrhea is more than one soft diaper

A breastfed baby's usual stool may already be loose, and stool frequency varies. Diarrhea is a clear change toward more frequent, watery stools compared with your baby's normal pattern. Teething does not change how the intestines work.

Watch hydration as well as stool. Call the pediatrician promptly if diarrhea lasts more than a day, and sooner for a young infant or if wet diapers decrease, the mouth looks dry, tears are absent, the soft spot appears sunken, feeding drops or your baby becomes unusually sleepy. Do not give anti-diarrheal medicine or a homemade drink without pediatric guidance.

Soothe the gums without risky products

Gently massage the gum with a clean finger or offer a firm rubber teether while you supervise. A teether may be chilled in the refrigerator, but it should not be frozen hard. Wipe drool gently and change a wet bib; remove the bib before sleep.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against benzocaine- or lidocaine-containing products for teething because they offer little benefit and can cause serious harm. Avoid homeopathic teething tablets and amber or other teething jewelry as well. Jewelry can strangle a baby or break into choking hazards. Ask your pediatrician before giving any pain medicine so the product and dose fit your baby's age and weight.

When should you get medical help?

Call the pediatrician promptly for a true fever, diarrhea lasting more than a day, repeated vomiting, blood in the stool, clearly fewer wet diapers, difficulty feeding, unusual drowsiness or symptoms that are worsening instead of settling. A baby younger than 3 months with a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher needs immediate medical evaluation.

Call 911 now if your baby is struggling to breathe, has blue or gray lips or skin, has a seizure, collapses or cannot be awakened. Do not wait for a tooth to appear when your baby looks seriously ill.

Related United States guides

Review teething alongside feeding, development and health guidance for this stage rather than treating every change as a tooth symptom.