Teething and Fever: Does Teething Cause a High Temperature?

Your baby is dribbling, chewing on everything, and has been fretful for days — and now their forehead feels warm too. The first thought for many parents: it must be teething.

The honest answer: teething may make your baby slightly warm, but it almost never causes a real high temperature. A genuine fever often coincides with teething, but it nearly always has another cause. Why that is, how to spot real teething, and when a warm baby needs a doctor — you'll find it here, step by step.

Does Teething Really Cause a High Temperature?

Teething may raise your baby's temperature slightly, but it rarely goes above 38°C and almost never causes a real high temperature. In children, a high temperature is 38°C or above. Teething is not an illness and doesn't cause other illnesses — so don't put a genuine fever down to teething.

Teething can leave a baby's temperature slightly raised, but it stays below 38°C. Anything at or above 38°C counts as a high temperature — and that points away from teething as the cause. If your baby is only a little warm and otherwise their usual self, teething fits the picture. A real high temperature does not.

Why Does a Fever So Often Coincide With Teething?

It's usually a coincidence of timing rather than cause and effect. Babies start teething around the same age that they begin to catch coughs, colds, and other infections. So a fever often lands in the middle of teething. But that fever comes from the infection, not the teeth — which is why it shouldn't be brushed off as teething.

Because a fever, a runny nose, or a restless night so often happen at the same time as the first teeth, they get blamed on teething. Some people also think teething causes symptoms like diarrhoea, but there's no evidence to support this. If you put a real high temperature down to teething, you might miss an illness that needs treating — so it's worth knowing when a fever in children is dangerous.

How Do I Tell Real Teething From Something Else?

The classic signs of teething are a sore, red gum where a tooth is coming through, dribbling more than usual, gnawing and chewing on things, one flushed cheek, and being more fretful or unsettled than usual. These are harmless. A high temperature of 38°C or above, though, is not a sign of teething.

Some babies also rub the ear on the side that's teething, get a rash on the face from all the dribble, or don't sleep very well. All of that can go with teething. What doesn't is a high temperature: teething keeps a baby below 38°C. And although diarrhoea often gets blamed on teething, there's no evidence for it — so treat a fever or diarrhoea as you would any other illness, guided by how your baby seems rather than by the teething calendar.

When Does a Warm Baby Need a Doctor?

You know your baby best — get medical advice for any symptom that worries you. A high temperature of 38°C or above is more likely a separate illness than teething, so don't dismiss it. And in a baby under 3 months, a temperature of 38°C or above always needs urgent advice.

In babies under 3 months, a temperature of 38°C or above always needs urgent medical advice — contact a GP or call NHS 111 straight away (call 999 or go to A&E if your baby seems seriously unwell). Their immune system is still developing, so any fever is taken seriously — teething or not.

If none of that applies and your baby is only slightly warm but still feeding, playing, and their usual self, they most likely just need comfort and patience. But if the temperature climbs to 38°C or above, or your baby seems unwell, the next step is your GP — not the assumption that it's teething.

How Do You Keep Track When a Fever Lands in the Teething Phase?

The key question during teething is whether it stays a slightly raised temperature or climbs into a real fever. Take your baby's temperature regularly and note the time and the reading. That way you'll spot early if "a bit warm" turns into a high temperature of 38°C or above with another cause.

In Mona you log each reading with the time in a few seconds, and the temperature chart builds itself — at a glance you can see whether the temperature is climbing or settling. Add a quick note for any other symptoms, like a cough or diarrhoea, and you can tell a real illness apart from harmless teething.

That pays off at the GP. They'll ask: how long has the temperature lasted? How high was it? Have any other symptoms appeared? Those answers are already in your Mona timeline, instead of something you have to piece together from memory.

What Helps a Teething Baby?

Simple things help most: something cool for your baby to chew on, like a teething ring, gentle rubbing of the sore gum with a clean finger, and plenty of comfort and cuddles. Fever medicine is not a teething remedy — save paracetamol or ibuprofen for a genuine high temperature that has been confirmed as an illness.

A cool (not frozen) teething ring gives your baby something firm to bite on, and the gentle counter-pressure soothes a sore gum. What you shouldn't do is reach for medicine to treat teething itself. A dose of fever medicine won't ease teething and can mask a real fever. Only once a doctor has confirmed a high temperature does the choice between ibuprofen and paracetamol come in, dosed by your child's weight.

Frequently Asked Questions About Teething and Fever

At what temperature is it no longer just teething?

Teething keeps a baby's temperature slightly raised but below 38°C. In children, a high temperature is 38°C or above — and a fever that high is more likely a separate illness than teething. If your baby's temperature reaches 38°C or more, don't put it down to the teeth; get it checked.

Does teething cause diarrhoea?

There's no evidence that it does. Diarrhoea often gets blamed on teething, but no link has been shown. If your baby has diarrhoea — especially alongside a high temperature — treat it as you would any other illness, keep them hydrated, and speak to your GP if it persists or you're worried.

Why is my baby so unsettled when teething?

A tooth pushing through makes the gum sore and red, and that's uncomfortable. Your baby may dribble more, want to chew on everything, have one flushed cheek, rub the ear on that side, and sleep less well. Cool things to chew and plenty of comfort usually settle them — a fever does not belong.

Can I give my teething baby fever medicine?

Only for a genuine high temperature confirmed as an illness — not as a teething remedy. Fever medicine won't ease teething and can mask a real fever. For sore gums, a cool teething ring and gentle rubbing work better. If a doctor confirms a fever, follow the dosing for your child's weight.

My baby is teething and has a fever — can I blame the teeth?

No. A high temperature of 38°C or above during teething is nearly always a separate infection, not a teething symptom. Watch how your baby seems overall and look for other symptoms. If they seem unwell or the temperature persists, get the cause checked rather than assuming it's the teeth.

When should I take my feverish baby to the doctor?

In babies under 3 months, a temperature of 38°C or above always means contacting a GP or NHS 111 straight away. For older babies, how they seem matters most: if your baby seems unwell, or a fever comes with other symptoms, get medical advice — call 999 or go to A&E if they seem seriously unwell.

Summary: Is It Teething or an Illness?

Situation	What to do?
Your baby seems seriously unwell	Call 999 / A&E
Baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or above	GP or NHS 111 straight away (999 / A&E if seriously unwell)
High temperature (38°C or above) or an unwell child while teething	See your GP — don't put it down to teething
Fever with other symptoms, or symptoms that worry you	Contact your GP or NHS 111
Slightly warm only, baby feeding and their usual self, typical teething signs	Comfort and watch — keep track of it in Mona