Teething Symptoms at 10–12 Months: What to Expect

What signs can happen during teething?

Teething does not look the same for every baby. Some teeth appear with little notice; other babies have a few days of gum tenderness or behaviour changes. The NHS and AAP list increased drooling, chewing, sore or red gums, and mild fussiness among possible teething signs.

Your baby may put toys, fingers, or safe objects in their mouth more often. Extra drooling can irritate the skin around the mouth. These signs alone do not mean your baby is ill, especially if they otherwise seem well and are feeding and drinking as usual.

Which teeth may appear at 10–12 months?

The order and timing of teeth vary. NHS guidance says the upper lateral incisors often appear at around 9–11 months and the lower lateral incisors at around 10–12 months. First molars commonly follow at around 12–16 months. These are approximate ranges; your baby’s teeth may appear earlier or later.

A baby with only a few teeth at 11 months should not be judged by tooth count alone. There is a wide range of normal timing.

Can teething cause a fever?

It helps to distinguish everyday descriptions from a true fever. The NHS says a baby may have a mild temperature below 38°C while teething. The AAP explains that research has not shown teething to cause a true fever.

If your baby’s temperature is 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, do not assume teething is the cause. Fever with marked irritability, weakness, cough, vomiting, a rash, or other signs of illness should be considered separately.

Teething often happens during a period when babies are also exposed to infections. The two can occur at the same time, so attributing illness signs to a tooth may cause another problem to be missed.

Are diarrhoea, prolonged crying, and nappy rash teething signs?

The NHS and AAP say there is no good evidence that teething causes diarrhoea. The AAP also cautions against directly attributing intense, persistent crying, a significant nappy rash, or frequent illness to teething.

One softer stool is not necessarily diarrhoea, but a clear increase in watery stools compared with your baby’s usual pattern should be considered separately. Drool may irritate the skin around the mouth, but teething should not automatically be treated as the cause of nappy-area rash.

This distinction is not meant to alarm you; it helps avoid missing an illness that is unrelated to teething.

When should you consider another cause?

If your baby is drooling, chewing, and mildly unsettled, teething is one possible explanation. Do not attribute a significant fever, repeated vomiting, true diarrhoea, difficulty drinking, unusual sleepiness, or a clearly unwell appearance to teething alone.

Speak with your GP or health visitor if pain is pronounced, feeding is significantly affected, or fussiness continues to worsen over several days. Teething symptoms are generally mild and temporary; your baby’s overall condition is an important guide.

Get emergency help for breathing difficulty, difficulty waking, blue colouring, or signs of severe fluid loss rather than waiting for a routine appointment.

What can you do today?

Look at your baby’s gums for local redness, swelling, or tenderness, and notice whether drooling or chewing has increased recently.

Do not automatically link fever or diarrhoea to teething. If the temperature is 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, or your baby seems unwell, seek advice about other possible causes.

Keep an eye on drinking, feeding, and alertness. A little extra fussiness can happen during teething, but marked difficulty with fluids or feeding is not something to dismiss as teething.

If you are wondering how to ease discomfort, start with safe, medicine-free options. A separate guide covers those choices in more detail.