The safest and most effective things you can give a teething baby are simple: a chilled teething ring, a cold washcloth, or gentle gum pressure from your clean finger. These work by numbing the gums naturally through cold and counterpressure, and they carry none of the risks associated with numbing gels or teething tablets. Most babies start teething around 6 months, though some begin earlier or later, and the discomfort tends to come and go as each new tooth pushes through.
Cold and Pressure: What Works Best
Rubbing your baby’s gums with a clean finger or a piece of wet gauze for about two minutes at a time is one of the simplest ways to ease teething pain. The pressure counteracts the aching sensation from the tooth pushing up. You can do this as often as your baby seems to need it.
Chilled (not frozen) teething rings, pacifiers, and wet washcloths are equally effective. Pop them in the refrigerator for a while before offering them. The cold reduces swelling in the gums and provides temporary numbing. Look for teething rings made of solid rubber or ones filled with distilled water rather than gel, since a baby’s new teeth can puncture a gel-filled ring. Avoid freezing teething rings or giving your baby ice directly, as extreme cold can cause frostbite on delicate gum tissue.
Cold Foods for Babies on Solids
If your baby is older than six months and already eating solid foods, chilled soft fruits can do double duty as a snack and a soother. A silicone mesh feeder is especially useful here. You place a piece of cold banana, mango, strawberry, or berries inside the mesh pouch, and your baby gnaws on it without any choking risk from loose pieces. The mesh also gives the gums something firm to press against. For babies over age one, you can wrap a small piece of ice in a wet cloth and rub it on their gums, or offer chilled berries directly with supervision.
What About Pain Relievers?
Infant acetaminophen or infant ibuprofen (for babies six months and older) can help on particularly rough days or nights when your baby is clearly in pain and other methods aren’t enough. Use the dosing based on your baby’s weight as indicated on the packaging. These are occasional tools, not something to give around the clock for weeks. If you find yourself reaching for pain relievers frequently, it’s worth considering whether something other than teething might be causing the discomfort.
Products to Avoid
Several popular teething products carry real safety risks, and major health organizations have issued clear warnings about them.
Numbing gels with benzocaine or lidocaine. The FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend against using topical numbing agents on infants’ gums. Benzocaine can cause a rare but serious condition where the blood’s ability to carry oxygen drops dangerously. These gels also wash away quickly with drool, making them ineffective within minutes.
Homeopathic teething tablets. The FDA has warned consumers not to use homeopathic teething tablets containing belladonna. Testing of products sold by Hyland’s and CVS found that levels of belladonna compounds varied wildly from tablet to tablet, with some containing far more than what the label stated. Hyland’s teething tablets were voluntarily recalled nationwide in 2017. If you have any of these products at home, throw them away.
Amber teething necklaces and jewelry. These are marketed with the claim that amber releases a pain-relieving substance when warmed by body heat, but there is no evidence this works. The real concern is safety: the FDA issued a warning in 2018 after receiving reports of children choking on beads that broke free and an 18-month-old who was strangled by an amber necklace during a nap. The AAP recommends that infants not wear any jewelry at all. The risks of strangulation and choking simply aren’t worth it.
What Teething Actually Looks Like
Teething typically brings extra drooling, red or swollen gums, fussiness, trouble sleeping, decreased appetite, and a strong urge to bite or chew on everything within reach. These symptoms tend to flare up a few days before a tooth breaks through and settle down once it does.
One thing teething does not cause is a true fever. Your baby’s temperature may rise very slightly, but anything above 100.4°F (38°C) is not from teething. A meta-analysis of studies on the topic found no consistent link between fever and tooth eruption. If your baby has a genuine fever, diarrhea, or a rash, something else is going on and those symptoms deserve attention on their own rather than being chalked up to teeth coming in.
When Teeth Arrive and How Long This Lasts
The lower front teeth usually appear first, between 6 and 10 months. The upper front teeth follow at 8 to 12 months. From there, the lateral incisors fill in on both sides between roughly 9 and 16 months, the first molars arrive between 13 and 19 months, the canines between 16 and 23 months, and the second molars between 23 and 33 months. That means teething can be an on-and-off experience for nearly two years, though most parents find the first few teeth and the molars are the worst stretches.
Caring for New Teeth Right Away
As soon as the first tooth appears, start brushing it. Use a soft infant toothbrush with a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste. That tiny amount is safe to swallow and helps protect enamel from the start. Once your child turns three, increase to a pea-sized amount. Early brushing establishes a habit and keeps new teeth healthy before your baby even knows what a dentist’s office looks like.