A toddler between the ages of 18 months and two years old, may begin to show signs of getting their two-year molars in. The 2 year molars are large teeth and tend to be very painful for your little one. Keeping them as comfortable as possible until the tooth breaks through the gums is key to maintaining your own sanity.
Is Fever a Sign of Two Year Molars?
Your child will likely be irritable and could possibly even run a fever when the two-year molars are erupting. Typically, your child will only run a low-grade fever while teething. Anything beyond a low-grade fever could indicate that something else is going on with your child.
Toddler Teething Can Be Complicated by Cold or an Ear Infection
My children always seemed like they got sick when their 2-year-old molars started erupting. They usually end up with a cold or an ear infection. Ear infections are more common when your child is younger because the anatomy of the ear is smaller compared to a full-grown adult.
Babies and toddlers have a short, horizontal eustachian tube that is small. Anytime there is swelling around the ear can cause the eustachian tube to become blocked and it will trap fluid in the inner ear. A simple cold or toddler teething can cause swelling to occur and the trapped fluid is the perfect environment for an ear infection.
An ear infection can cause your teething toddler to run a more than a low-grade fever. A fever over 102 should be checked out by their pediatrician or health care provider. Our pediatrician always advised us to let the fever run its course for a day or two before running into the office to avoid wasting money on unnecessary trips.
Additional Symptoms of 2 Year Molars
- Chewing on their hands, toys, or anything that they can get into their mouth
- Drooling
- Irritated Skin
- Night waking, especially, if your toddler is normally a good sleeper
- Excessively cranky
- Swollen or tender gums
- Ear pulling
- Rubbing on their cheek
- Refusing to eat foods that are hard to chew
- Biting
Comforting Your Teething Toddler
While your child is exhibiting symptoms of getting their two-year old molars in, it is best to comfort them as much as possible. Talk to your child’s pediatrician to determine the right amount of pain reliever to give your child. Pain reliever can help ease the pain and reduce swelling.
Offer lots of teething toys (aff link) for your child to chew on. You want to give them teething toys that are soft. Never give your toddler the frozen water-filled toys. These toys can cause frostbite or hurt their gums. Skip the baltic amber teething necklace.
Also, try offering soft foods or smoothies to your toddler if they are having a hard time eating.
The two-year molars are often painful so you find that your happy-go-lucky toddler isn’t so happy lately. These teeth are large compared to the other teeth in their mouth and it can cause their eustachian tube to swell. It is possible that the two-year-old molars can cause more than a low-grade fever. A low-grade fever is normal and isn’t a cause of concern. Toddler teething won’t last forever. 🙂
