The most effective things you can do for a teething baby are simple: apply gentle pressure to their gums, offer something cold to chew on, and keep them comfortable with cuddles and distraction. Most teething discomfort is mild and short-lived, peaking in the days right around when a tooth breaks through the gum. The good news is that the best remedies don’t cost much and don’t require a trip to the pharmacy.
How to Tell It’s Teething
Most babies cut their first tooth between 6 and 10 months, usually one of the bottom front teeth. From there, teeth tend to arrive in a rough sequence: upper front teeth around 8 to 12 months, the teeth on either side of those by about 9 to 16 months, first molars between 13 and 19 months, canines around 16 to 23 months, and second molars between 23 and 33 months. That means teething can come and go for nearly two years.
Common signs include drooling more than usual, chewing on anything within reach, swollen or tender gums, and general fussiness. Some babies refuse food or sleep poorly. You may notice a slight rise in temperature, but teething does not cause a true fever. The American Academy of Pediatrics defines fever as 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. If your baby hits that mark, something else is going on and it’s worth a call to your pediatrician.
Pressure and Cold: The Two Best Tools
Babies instinctively want to bite down on things when they’re teething, and there’s good reason for it. Counterpressure on the gums helps relieve the aching sensation of a tooth pushing through. You can rub your baby’s gums firmly with a clean finger, which is often enough to settle a fussy spell. Many babies find this especially comforting when they’re being put down for a nap or waking up upset at night.
Cold adds a numbing effect on top of the pressure. A wet washcloth chilled in the refrigerator (not the freezer) makes an excellent teething tool because it’s soft, easy to grip, and safe to chew. Solid teething rings work well too, especially if you cool them in the fridge first. Avoid filling liquid-filled teething rings with very cold water, and skip anything frozen solid, which can be too hard on tender gums and potentially damage emerging teeth.
Foods That Soothe Sore Gums
If your baby has started solids, certain foods double as teething relief. Chilled cucumber slices, cold banana pieces, or refrigerated apple slices give babies something satisfying to gnaw on. Always supervise closely, cutting pieces large enough that they can’t be swallowed whole but soft enough to break down with gum pressure.
Breast milk or formula frozen into small popsicle molds creates a soothing, nutritious snack. Plain yogurt and soft cheese are gentle on sore gums and don’t cling to teeth. Whole grain crackers and breadsticks offer a light gum massage for babies who enjoy crunchier textures. Soft foods like mashed avocado and banana work well for younger babies still transitioning from purees.
Getting Through the Night
Teething often disrupts sleep, and nighttime can feel like the hardest stretch because babies have fewer distractions from the discomfort. A calming bedtime routine helps. A warm bath, a gentle massage, and low white noise can all ease your baby into sleep more smoothly during rough teething stretches.
If your baby wakes during the night, try a gentle gum massage with your finger or offer a cold washcloth before picking them up fully. Sometimes that focused pressure is enough to settle them back down. Letting your baby chew on your finger while you hold them can work surprisingly well in the middle of the night when you don’t want to turn on lights or create too much stimulation.
When Pain Relief Medication Makes Sense
For particularly rough days or nights, infant acetaminophen can help. It’s available as a liquid (160 mg per 5 mL), and dosing is based on your baby’s weight rather than age. For babies under 2, it’s best to confirm the right dose with your pediatrician before giving it. You can give a dose every 4 hours as needed, up to 5 doses in 24 hours. A dose before bed can make a real difference on a bad night.
Ibuprofen is another option, but only for babies 6 months and older. Again, dose by weight and check with your pediatrician if you’re unsure. Never give aspirin to an infant or young child.
Products to Avoid
Several popular teething products carry serious safety risks that outweigh any benefit.
- Numbing gels containing benzocaine. The FDA warns against using these for teething. They can cause a rare but potentially fatal condition where the blood’s ability to carry oxygen drops dangerously low. Over-the-counter teething gels like Orajel should not be used in young children.
- Prescription lidocaine solutions. Sometimes used for mouth pain in adults, lidocaine can cause seizures, heart problems, severe brain injury, and death in infants if too much is swallowed or absorbed.
- Homeopathic teething tablets. The FDA found that tablets marketed by major brands contained inconsistent and sometimes dangerously high levels of belladonna, a toxic plant extract. Some tablets had far more of the active compounds (atropine, scopolamine, and caffeine) than their labels stated. The FDA recommends disposing of any you have at home.
- Amber teething necklaces and bracelets. There is no evidence that amber releases any pain-relieving substance through the skin. There are, however, published reports of children dying from strangulation and choking on beads. Testing has shown the clasps don’t release easily under pressure, making the strangulation risk worse. Hazelwood necklaces carry the same dangers.
Keeping Perspective
Teething is genuinely uncomfortable, but it’s also temporary. The worst of it usually lasts only a few days per tooth. Between eruptions, your baby will have stretches of perfectly normal behavior. The pattern of fussy days followed by calm ones can repeat for months, but each individual episode is short. A chilled washcloth, clean fingers for gum pressure, and a little extra patience will get you through the vast majority of it without needing anything else.