For some babies, teething causes minor discomfort, but for others, it can be much more painful. Your baby might be irritable, have swollen gums, sleeping problems, and difficulty eating. Believe me, it’s not fun to see your teething baby in pain!
That’s why I put together this list of teething hacks to help comfort your baby. With these tips, you can help soothe your baby’s sore gums and maybe even catch some longer stretches of sleep while you await that little tooth’s appearance.
When Do Babies Start Teething?
There’s a wide range of normal when it comes to teething. Most often, teething begins sometime between 4-7 months. The average time for the first tooth to appear is around their half birthday. And by the time your baby is three years old, they will have 20 baby teeth!
Most often, babies get their lower center teeth first, and then they get their upper center teeth. Baby teeth often emerge in sets of two but may even come in sets of four! My own babies were wildly different in terms of when and how their teeth appeared, so you never know what the case may be for your little one.
What Teething Symptoms Look Like
It can be tricky to figure out what’s causing your baby’s fussiness or discomfort. In some cases, we are quick to blame teething when in reality baby is learning a new skill, experiencing a developmental leap, or having a growth spurt.
However, sometimes those new teeth are definitely the culprit! The most prominent signs of teething will occur 3-4 days before and after a tooth cuts through. Here are some signs of a teething baby:
- Visible red or swollen gums
- Visible white bumps on the gum line
- Excessive drooling
- Excessive biting on objects/toys
- Ear rubbing or pulling
- Rash, redness, or chapped skin around the mouth
- Crying
- Irritability
- Interrupted sleep and shorter naps
Is It Teething or a Sleep Regression?
Sometimes teething gets blamed for every sleep disruption, but there are also common developmental leaps and regressions that coincide with teething. If your baby is waking more at night or taking shorter naps, it could be a mix of both. Supporting your baby through teething while keeping gentle sleep routines in place can help avoid long-term sleep struggles.
Teething Relief Kit Checklist
✔️ Silicone or wooden teethers
✔️ Silicone feeder + frozen fruit or breast milk
✔️ Clean washcloths
✔️ Chamomile tea (with pediatrician approval)
✔️ Homeopathic drops or tablets
✔️ Natural teething crackers
✔️ Organic amber necklace (if using, with caution)
✔️ Baby-safe popsicle molds
✔️ Baby toothbrush for early brushing
✔️ Lots of snuggles 💗
11 Natural Teething Hacks to Help Your Baby
If you think your baby is experiencing discomfort from teething, here are some go-to teething hacks to ease your baby’s teething pain!
1. Offer a Variety of Teething Toys
First and foremost, let’s start with the most obvious approach… offering a variety of teething toys is an effective way to help your baby find some relief. When selecting teething toys, I always recommended choosing natural, non-toxic materials. This is always important, but especially for your teething baby who will constantly have this item in their mouth. Here’s what you want to avoid:
- Plastic. Teethers made of plastics can contain BPAs, phthalates, and other known endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. Even plastics labeled BPA-free may have other endocrine disruptors in the material.
- Liquid-Filled Teethers. Many teething toys that are filled with liquid for freezing have been recalled in recent years due to bursting. These may pose a safety risk, and I suggest avoiding them.
- Vinyl. Teethers made from PVC or vinyl should be avoided. They can contain chlorine, phthalates, and even heavy metals.
- Painted Teethers. Teethers that have paint or stain can chip off in your baby’s mouth. The safer alternative is beeswax polishes, or water and plant-based pigments.
So what materials are safest? Natural rubber, silicone, cotton, and natural wood teethers are the best, safest choices for your baby’s teething toys. Note that rubber and silicone teething toys can also be thrown in the freezer for some quick, cold relief. Some of my favorite teething toys are available here on my Amazon shop.
2. Let Your Baby Chew on Frozen Feeders
Feeders are an effective way to give your baby some relief from painful gums. For the best pain relief, fill these feeders with frozen fruits, veggies, or purees. You can even fill them with frozen breast milk chips or water for babies that aren’t yet old enough to be eating solids (i.e. babies that are not yet 6 months old and are not showing signs of readiness)!
Silicone feeders are a favorite in my house because even after the frozen filling is gone, it still seems to feel good on the gums. Another added bonus is that because they either contain food or breast milk, these feeders can also help distract your little one a bit while they are experiencing teething pain.
3. Give Your Teething Baby a Frozen Washcloth to Chew On
This is a teething hack that every mama needs to know.
Option 1: Take a clean baby washcloth, wet it, ring it out, and freeze. Pull it out for a fun teething-relief activity your little one will love. For added appeal, try knotting the washcloth or fabric before wetting and freezing.
Option 2: You can also try dipping the washcloth into brewed chamomile tea. The herb has calming, anti-inflammatory properties that may provide extra relief. I always suggest clearing the use of chamomile with your pediatrician before first use, as some babies can have a chamomile allergy.
4. Massage Your Baby’s Gums
Massaging the gums can provide relief for your teething baby. All you need is a clean finger or knuckle to gently rub and press on the sore spots along their gum line. This works well before or after a nursing session or midway through a nursing session if your baby tries to bite your nipple, clothing, or body. Some mamas like to use a product like Earthley Teeth Tamer when doing this.
Alternatively, you can also massage your baby’s cheeks to provide teething pain relief. Simply use a little jojoba oil mixed with german chamomile hydrosol and gently rub your baby’s cheeks from the outside, focusing on the spots they’re teething. Don’t use anything containing clove oil because it’s way too strong for a baby.
5. Try the Green Onion Teething Hack
Want to try one of the best teething hacks you’ve probably never heard of? Allowing your baby to chew on a green onion may do the job, believe it or not. Green onions have analgesic properties, so try letting your baby gnaw on a cold scallion anytime their teething pain gets overwhelming. Be sure to supervise your little one! If you don’t have a green onion handy, a piece of celery may also help. Just be sure to remove the fibers.
6. Make DIY Teething Melts
One of my favorite teething hacks is to make homemade teething melts from baby fruit smoothie pouches. Simply grab your favorite organic baby food pouch (I prefer the fruit-based pouches for this project) and make it in one of two ways:
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- Teething Dot Melts: Get a stainless steel baking sheet and create small dollops of baby food. Place in the freezer until frozen and serve. They melt very quickly, but you can let them sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes before giving them to your baby if needed.
- Teething Square Melts: Using a silicone mini ice cube tray, spread the baby food pouch into the cubes. Place in the freezer until frozen and serve. These also melt very easily, but you can let them sit out for a couple of minutes if you’d like them to soften before serving.
7. Try Frozen Pacifiers
If your baby likes pacifiers, you might have luck with these freezable pacifiers. I love the concept behind these and they can work wonders for some teething babies. You simply add water to the inside of the pacifier, close the spout, and place it in the freezer. After it’s frozen, you can give it to your baby and it should last for up to 30 minutes of relief.
If you find that your little one likes these frozen pacifiers, you could spring for the freezer tray, which makes it so that you can refill the ice without having to pop the paci back into the freezer.
8. Look to Homeopathic Remedies
Many babies respond well to homeopathic remedies like Camilia for teething. It is a clear and tasteless liquid that is generally safe for babies 1 month of age and older. This is also an interesting option because it may be helpful for when your baby is experiencing digestive issues related to teething. They’re also nice because they come in individual servings and are easy to pack in the diaper bag.
Another option is to try Hyland’s teething tablets. They were previously recommended against because they included Belladonna, but the company reformulated and the teething tablets now do not use this controversial ingredient. These teething tablets can be a big help for babies with sore gums and swelling.
If you are drawn to homeopathy but don’t feel like you know enough to choose the right option for your baby, I totally get that. You could reach out to a classical homeopath for personalized homeopathic remedies or try this book on children’s homeopathic remedies.
9. Try Teething Biscuits or Crackers
There are a wide variety of teething biscuits, crackers, and wafers on the market. Though these are usually devoid of any nutritional benefits, teething biscuits are a good option for teething babies who are already eating solid foods. They are usually individually packaged, making them easy to throw in your diaper bag and use when you’re out and about.
The only thing is… many teething crackers and biscuits are commercially produced and contain added sugars. Definitely take a look at the ingredients before you give them to your baby.
Another option is to bake your own teething crackers and biscuits! This way, you can choose a recipe with no added sugar. Many are sweetened naturally with fruit or fruit purees. It’s also a fun activity to do with an older sibling.
10. Offer Cold or Frozen Foods
It’s no secret that frozen and cold materials feel really good on a baby’s painful gums. With that in mind, there are a few ways you can use turn everyday foods into teething hacks to give your baby relief.
- Popsicles: Popsicle molds, especially ones designed for babies and toddlers, are a way to make a fun frozen treat for your little one. You can fill them with simple purees, smoothie mixtures, or even breast milk. Look for a mold that’s made of silicone to reduce unnecessary exposure to toxins, like this one. This might get a little messy and is best for an older, teething baby or toddler.
- Offer frozen foods: Frozen banana, frozen cucumber strips or rings, frozen blueberries, or other fruit, frozen yogurt bites straight from the freezer.
- Provide cold purees, smoothies, and yogurts: If your baby won’t eat regular meals, try offering cold homemade purees, homemade smoothies, cold applesauce, and yogurts.
11. Use an Amber Teething Necklace
Baltic amber jewelry is a hot and much-debated topic in the parenting world. The idea behind using this jewelry to relieve pain is that the amber contains succinic acid. When the amber is against your little one’s warm body, this acid is released and relieves pain. Truth be told, there isn’t a whole lot of research supporting these claims, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence and support from moms, so this still makes my list of teething hacks.
Note that the AAP and the FDA have released official warnings against the use of these types of necklaces due to reports of choking and strangulation. If you decide to use Baltic amber teething jewelry, be sure to do so with caution. These are NOT for chewing on.
Another option you could try is giving your little one teething toys that are infused with amber oil. I don’t have any personal experience with these and I can’t really attest to the brand 😬 but they have pretty good reviews on Amazon. (If you do try them, could you let me know what you think?)
12. Extra Snuggles and Attention
When your baby is teething, they may seem inconsolable at times. Their sleep may be disrupted and they may not want to eat or nurse as often as they normally do. Be sure to be extra attentive to your little one when they’re teething, offer extra snuggles, and do what your little one needs to get some relief. Maybe napping in the baby carrier or next to mama may be a good temporary measure while teething.
Help Your Baby Get Some Teething Relief (And You, Some Sleep!)
The good news is that the discomfort associated with teething usually only lasts for a few days before and after a tooth emerges. The bad news is that your baby is going to get 20 teeth by their third birthday!
The sleep disruptions and fussiness can be frustrating and hard to watch, but with the tips in this article, you’ll be able to help your little one find some relief.
FAQs
Still have questions about teething remedies? Read on!
Do babies get a fever when teething?
It’s actually a myth that teething causes a fever but I still swear my kids always had a low-grade fever when teething. Teething can only slightly raise the core body temperature. So, if your baby is running a fever higher than 100.5°F, it’s likely that your baby has an illness unrelated to teething.
Is it OK to give my teething baby Tylenol or numbing gel at night?
Tylenol can be harmful to babies, so it’s certainly not my first choice. My main reason for avoiding it at almost all costs is its ability to deplete the body of glutathione, an important antioxidant. For the body to be able to process acetaminophen, it uses high levels of glutathione, which puts undue stress on the liver and can actually lead to liver failure in babies and young children.
Numbing medication is often a gel-like substance advertised to rub on the gums to alleviate pain. I do not recommend their use because there have been multiple issues over the years. Some brands can contain benzocaine which can lead to a potentially fatal condition.
Do babies refuse to nurse or eat when teething?
Sometimes the suction motion involved in nursing or bottle-feeding can cause your babies’ gums to feel worse. Try massaging his gums and then see if he will nurse or take a bottle. Don’t give up! Try the methods listed above and it might just be all it takes for your baby to feel better and ready to drink/eat. Talk to your doctor if this becomes an issue.
What are the worst teeth to cut?
At the time, all those little teeth will feel like they are the worst teeth, but the molars are definitely the ones that cause the most pain. They are the largest teeth and take a while to fully come in. Typically, your baby will get his first set of molars around 12 months old and his second set of molars around age 2.
When do I start cleaning my baby’s teeth?
You can start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as his first tooth emerges! Take a damp washcloth, a baby toothbrush, or a baby finger toothbrush moistened with water and gently clean the baby tooth/teeth. Pediatric dentists also recommend you gently brush your baby’s gums to prevent bacterial growth.
When should I take my baby to the dentist?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends you take your baby to the dentist after your little one’s first tooth appears, and no later than his first birthday. During his first dentist visit, the dentist will make sure your baby has proper dental hygiene and make sure there are no issues with dental decay.
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