Not sure what you can do to help your teething baby? Here are some tips on what is safe and what is not recommended for teething:

Do:

  • use a clean finger or cold teething ring and gently rub baby’s gums for 2 minutes at a time to soothe them
  • make sure teething ring isn’t frozen or too hard for your child’s gums
  • teething devices like teething rings should only be used when child is supervised
  • discuss safe, over the counter pain relievers that are appropriate and safe for your child’s age with your dentist or physician. Aspirin has been linked to Reye Syndrome and should never be given to anyone under the age of 18.

Don’t:

  • Health Canada and the FDA do not recommend using teething necklaces or other jewelery to reduce teething pain. Choking can occur if the jewellery breaks and small pieces or beads block the airway. Strangulation can be caused by the necklace getting caught in a crib or wrapping too tightly around the neck. Infection or gum irritation can result from sensitivity to the jewellery itself or punctures to the gums.
  • It is not recommended to use teething remedies, such as gels which can numb a baby’s throat making it difficult for them to swallow.
  • It is not recommended to use teething creams and benzocaine gels, sprays, ointments, solutions, lozenges, and other local anesthetics for infants and children under 2-years of age as they can cause life-threatening methemoglobinemia, reducing the amount of oxygen carried through the blood.

For more information:

https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm385817.htm

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/teething-tooth-care/pages/Teething-4-to-7-Months.aspx