A runny nose during teething is common and usually resolves on its own within two to three days. The discharge should be clear and thin. While teething doesn’t directly cause a runny nose in the way a cold does, the inflammatory response triggered by a tooth pushing through the gums can produce extra fluid that shows up as nasal discharge and increased drooling. Treatment focuses on keeping your baby comfortable and their nose clear.
Why Teething Causes a Runny Nose
When a tooth erupts through the gum line, it activates an inflammatory response in the surrounding tissue. That localized inflammation triggers extra fluid production, which is why 92% of teething infants experience increased drooling. Some of that excess fluid also appears as clear nasal discharge. It’s not an infection, and it’s not mucus from a cold. It’s simply the body’s reaction to the physical process of a tooth breaking through.
The key distinction is what the discharge looks like. Teething-related runny noses produce clear, watery fluid that lasts about two to three days, typically around the time a new tooth is visibly emerging. If the mucus turns yellow or green, becomes thick, or lasts longer than a few days, something else is going on, most likely a viral infection that happens to overlap with teething.
Saline Drops and Nasal Suctioning
The most effective treatment for a teething-related runny nose is also the simplest: saline nasal drops followed by gentle suctioning. Babies can’t blow their own noses, so they need help clearing the extra fluid, especially before feeding and sleeping.
Place two to three drops of saline solution into each nostril. You can use saline drops or a saline spray designed for infants. Wait about 30 seconds for the saline to loosen the mucus, then use a bulb syringe or a nasal aspirator to gently suction it out. You can repeat this as often as needed throughout the day. Saline is just salt water, so there’s no risk of overuse or side effects.
If your baby fights the bulb syringe, try a different style of aspirator. Some parents find that tube-style aspirators (where you create suction with your mouth through a filtered tube) give more control and are less startling for the baby than a rubber bulb.
Keeping Your Baby Comfortable
Since the runny nose is driven by gum inflammation, addressing the teething discomfort itself can help reduce the extra fluid production. A few approaches work well together:
- Chilled teething rings or washcloths. Cold helps numb sore gums and reduce inflammation. Wet a clean washcloth, chill it in the refrigerator (not the freezer), and let your baby gnaw on it. Solid teething rings that have been refrigerated work the same way.
- Gum massage. Wash your hands and use a clean finger to gently rub your baby’s gums where the tooth is coming through. The counter-pressure can be soothing.
- Keeping the face dry. All that drool and nasal discharge can irritate the skin around the nose, chin, and cheeks. Gently pat the area dry with a soft cloth throughout the day. A thin layer of petroleum jelly on the skin around the nostrils and chin can protect against chapping.
Elevating the head of the crib mattress slightly (by placing a rolled towel under the mattress, not in the crib) can help mucus drain more easily while your baby sleeps. A cool-mist humidifier in the nursery also keeps nasal passages from drying out and getting irritated.
What to Avoid
The FDA warns against using topical numbing gels or creams containing benzocaine or lidocaine on teething babies. These products offer little benefit for teething pain and carry serious risks, including a rare but potentially fatal condition called methemoglobinemia, which severely reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. This warning also applies to homeopathic teething tablets and gels, which have been linked to adverse events in children.
Over-the-counter cold and cough medications are not appropriate for infants, and they won’t help with teething-related discharge anyway since the runny nose isn’t caused by a virus. Decongestants should not be given to children under two years old.
When It’s Not Just Teething
Teething happens during the same developmental window (roughly 6 to 24 months) when babies are also losing the immune protection they received from their mothers and encountering new germs, especially if they’re in daycare. This overlap means it’s easy to blame teething for symptoms that actually signal illness.
A few signs point away from teething and toward infection or another cause:
- Mucus color changes. Yellow, green, or thick mucus lasting more than three days suggests a cold or sinus infection.
- True fever. Teething may nudge your baby’s temperature slightly above normal, but it does not cause a true fever. A fever is defined as 100.4°F (38°C) or higher and indicates an infection, not teething. A temperature above 104°F (40°C) requires emergency care.
- Coughing, vomiting, or diarrhea. These are not teething symptoms. If they accompany the runny nose, your baby is likely sick.
- Duration. Teething-related nasal discharge clears up in two to three days. If it persists beyond that, especially with other symptoms, an infection is more probable.
The practical approach is straightforward: treat the runny nose with saline and suctioning, keep your baby comfortable with cold teething aids and gum massage, and watch for the signs above that suggest something beyond teething is happening.