Could a dry cough in a 6 month old be due to teething?

What the evidence says

Probably not. Teething, which is when a baby's first teeth push through the gums, mainly causes drooling, gum swelling, chewing on things, and sometimes a bit of fussiness. A dry cough is not one of the usual signs.

HealthLinkBC, a Canadian source, explains that teething can cause mild irritability, drooling, biting, and a small rise in temperature, but it does not list cough among the expected symptoms. It also advises that if your child has a real fever or other illness signs, you should look for an infection rather than blame teething.

The SickKids parenting site, another Canadian source, is even more direct: it states that teething does not cause fever or diarrhea, and tells parents to contact their doctor if these symptoms appear, rather than assuming teething is the cause. The same logic applies to a cough, since cough is not a typical teething sign either.

A large study that followed 125 babies every day from 4 months to 1 year old, recording symptoms and every new tooth, found that cough was not more common in the days around a tooth coming through compared to other days. Other things like drooling, gum-rubbing, irritability and a very mild temperature rise were linked to teething, but cough, congestion, fever over 102°F, and vomiting were not.

Because a dry cough is not a typical teething symptom, it's worth thinking about other common causes in a 6-month-old, like a viral cold, reflux, or irritation from dry air. If the cough is persistent, comes with fast breathing, wheezing, fever, or your baby seems unwell, it is best to have a doctor check them rather than wait it out as teething.