When your baby is teething, the best things you can do are apply gentle pressure to their gums, offer chilled (not frozen) teething toys, and wipe away excess drool to prevent skin irritation. Most babies start cutting teeth around 6 months, and the process is usually milder than parents expect. The fussiness tends to come and go as each tooth pushes through, and simple home remedies handle it well in the vast majority of cases.
What Teething Actually Looks Like
Teething symptoms are subtler than many parents realize. The main signs are increased drooling, a stronger urge to chew on things, and mild fussiness. Your baby’s gums may look slightly swollen or red where a tooth is about to break through. Some babies also develop a facial rash from all the extra drool, since saliva contains small bits of food that irritate skin.
Here’s what teething does not cause: fever, diarrhea, diaper rash, or a runny nose. It also doesn’t cause prolonged, intense crying. If your baby has a temperature above 100.4°F or is crying inconsolably, something else is going on. Blaming these symptoms on teething can delay care for real infections like ear infections, urinary tract infections, or worse. If your baby seems genuinely sick, treat it as an illness, not a tooth.
Pressure and Cold: The Two Best Remedies
The simplest relief is also the most effective. Using a clean finger or a soft, damp washcloth, gently rub your baby’s gums in a circular motion for about two minutes. The pressure counteracts the discomfort of the tooth pushing up, and you can do this as often as your baby needs it. For babies older than 12 months, you can wrap a small piece of ice in a wet cloth and rub it along the gums.
Chilled teething toys work on the same principle, combining pressure with a mild cooling effect that reduces inflammation. Silicone and rubber teething rings can go in the refrigerator for a gentle chill. The key word is refrigerated, not frozen. A rock-hard frozen toy can actually bruise tender gums. Look for teethers made from BPA-free silicone or natural rubber, ideally a single-piece design that won’t break apart. Chilled pacifiers and wet washcloths straight from the fridge also work well.
If your baby has started eating solids, mesh or silicone feeders filled with cold applesauce, mashed banana, or frozen breast milk give them something soothing to gnaw on while also keeping them occupied.
When Fussiness Calls for Pain Relief
Most teething discomfort is mild enough that pressure and cold handle it. But if your baby is clearly uncomfortable and those methods aren’t cutting it, infant acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an option for babies 2 months and older, and infant ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) can be used starting at 6 months.
Dosing is based on your baby’s weight, not their age. The product packaging includes weight-based charts, and your pediatrician’s office can confirm the right amount over the phone if you’re unsure. Acetaminophen can be given up to five times in 24 hours, while ibuprofen tops out at four doses. Don’t give ibuprofen if your baby is dehydrated or vomiting.
Pain medication is a tool for rough nights or especially painful eruptions, not something to use around the clock for weeks. Teething discomfort typically peaks in the day or two before a tooth breaks through the gum, then eases quickly.
Products to Avoid
Numbing gels and teething tablets may seem like an obvious solution, but the FDA has issued direct warnings against them. Products containing benzocaine (the active ingredient in many over-the-counter oral gels) can trigger a condition called methemoglobinemia, where the blood loses its ability to carry oxygen effectively. This is rare but can be fatal. Prescription lidocaine solutions are equally dangerous for infants, with risks including seizures, heart problems, and severe brain injury. These products also wash away quickly with saliva, so they offer almost no real benefit even before accounting for the risks.
Amber teething necklaces are another product to skip entirely. They pose a real strangulation risk, and the FDA issued a formal warning in 2018 after an 18-month-old died from strangulation during a nap. Individual beads can also break off and become a choking hazard. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants not wear any jewelry at all. There is no credible evidence that amber releases any pain-relieving substance through skin contact.
Handling Nighttime Disruptions
Teething pain often feels worse at night because there are fewer distractions. If your baby is waking more than usual, try rubbing their gums with a clean finger or offering a chilled pacifier before resorting to medication. Keeping the room comfortable and sticking to your normal bedtime routine helps signal that it’s still sleep time, even if things are a bit off.
A dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen before bed can help on particularly rough nights, especially if you can tell a tooth is close to breaking through. Most babies return to their normal sleep patterns within a few days of a tooth erupting. If sleep trouble persists beyond a week or your baby is having real difficulty eating or drinking alongside the sleep disruption, that’s worth a call to your pediatrician, since something beyond teething may be at play.
Caring for New Teeth
Start brushing as soon as the first tooth appears. Use a baby toothbrush with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste, no bigger than a grain of rice. The easiest technique is to sit your baby on your lap with their head resting against your chest, then brush in small circles across all surfaces of the tooth. Encourage spitting out the toothpaste once your child is old enough to understand, but don’t worry about it with very young babies since the amount is so small.
Getting your child comfortable with dental care early makes a real difference down the line. Bringing them along to your own dental appointments helps normalize the experience before they’re old enough to feel anxious about it. Most dentists recommend scheduling a baby’s first visit by their first birthday or within six months of the first tooth appearing, whichever comes first.