10 Teething Relief Tips: What Helps and What to Avoid

A drooly chin, a fist in the mouth, a baby who wants to chew everything: teething can make for long days and longer nights. It is natural to reach for anything that promises quick teething relief.

The short answer: the teething relief tips that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) support are simple. Rub your baby's gums with a clean finger, offer a firm rubber teething ring chilled in the fridge (not frozen), and ask your pediatrician before giving a pain reliever. Skip teething necklaces, numbing gels with benzocaine or lidocaine, and homeopathic teething tablets, which FDA warns can cause serious harm.

This guide replaces a 2018 version of this post that suggested amber necklaces, frozen items and herbal tea. Several of those tips do not match current guidance. Every tip below was checked November 8, 2026 against FDA, AAP and NHS pages.

10 Teething Relief Tips at a Glance

What Helps a Teething Baby: Tips 1 to 7

Cold and pressure are what AAP and FDA point to first. Neither needs a special product. Stay with your baby while they chew, so they do not choke.

1. Rub the Gums With a Clean Finger

Wash your hands, find the swollen spot, and rub it with your fingertip or knuckle. AAP's teething care guide suggests about 2 minutes, as often as needed, because pressure on a sore gum can decrease pain. Letting your baby gnaw on your clean fingers can also help at nap time, AAP says.

2. Offer a Firm Teething Ring, Chilled in the Fridge

Choose a solid teething ring made of firm rubber, not one filled with liquid. FDA says to make sure it is not frozen, because an object that is too hard can hurt the gums. Stay with your baby so they do not choke on it.

The NHS says to chill a teething ring in the fridge for the time its instructions give. Never put it in the freezer, and never tie it around your baby's neck. AAP adds that liquid-filled teethers can tear or leak, and the liquid may carry bacteria.

3. Try a Chilled Wet Washcloth

A clean, wet washcloth chilled in the fridge gives your baby something cool and soft to chew. AAP's teething care guide says not to use items frozen in the freezer. AAP's oral health page does describe a damp washcloth placed in the freezer, but warns against chewing on anything frozen solid, so the fridge is the simpler choice. Wash the cloth after each use.

4. Cool Drinks or Foods, Only at the Right Age

For a baby over 6 months, AAP's teething pain page suggests a sippy cup with a small amount of cold water. For a child over 12 months, AAP's teething care guide suggests a piece of chilled banana. Skip hard foods that could cause choking, such as raw carrot, and always watch your child while they eat.

5. Wipe Away the Drool

Extra drool is one of the most common teething signs, and AAP notes it can cause a rash around the mouth. Wiping your baby's face through the day may help keep the rash away (NHS).

6. Comfort, Cuddle and Distract

Sometimes the most useful thing is you. The NHS notes that comforting or playing with your baby can distract them from sore gums. Every baby is different, so try a few teething relief tips.

7. Ask Your Pediatrician Before Any Pain Reliever

Most teething discomfort is mild, and AAP says pain medicine usually is not needed. If your baby still seems very uncomfortable, ask your pediatrician whether acetaminophen is right and what dose to give.

AAP's teething care guide suggests a pain reliever for only one or two days, because frequent use can cause liver or kidney damage. AAP also notes that an oral syringe is the most accurate way to give a baby liquid medicine, and that it is best not to give medicines with more than one ingredient to children under 6. See its acetaminophen and ibuprofen dosing pages before you talk to your pediatrician.

What to Avoid: Tips 8 and 9

Some of the most popular teething relief products are the ones FDA and AAP warn against. FDA says benzocaine, lidocaine, homeopathic tablets and teething jewelry can lead to serious injury and even death.

8. Skip Teething Necklaces and Bracelets

In December 2018, FDA warned parents not to use necklaces, bracelets or other jewelry sold for teething relief, whether made of amber, wood, marble or silicone. FDA reported deaths and serious injuries from strangulation and choking. One was an 18-month-old strangled by an amber teething necklace during a nap.

Claims that amber releases a pain-relieving substance through the skin have no research behind them, AAP says. AAP does not recommend that infants wear any jewelry. A teething ring you hand to your baby is a different product from jewelry worn on the body.

9. Skip Numbing Gels and Homeopathic Teething Products

• Benzocaine (in some over-the-counter gels): FDA says not to use it for teething. It can cause methemoglobinemia, a serious and sometimes fatal drop in how much oxygen the blood carries. In May 2018, FDA asked companies to stop selling benzocaine products labeled for teething or for children under 2.
• Lidocaine (prescription viscous lidocaine): FDA says not to use it for teething. It can cause heart problems, severe brain injury and death, and seizures when too much is applied or swallowed.
• Homeopathic teething tablets and gels: AAP says to avoid them, especially those with belladonna or coffea cruda. A 2017 recall notice for one brand's teething tablets, posted by FDA, quotes FDA: there is no known safe dose of belladonna in children.
• Alcohol on the gums: not safe for infants. AAP says it is quickly absorbed into the blood and can cause seizures.

Numbing gels also wash away quickly with drool and can numb the back of the throat, AAP notes. Unsure of an ingredient? Ask a pharmacist.

10. Call Your Pediatrician When It Does Not Look Like Teething

Teething causes drooling, chewing, a rash around the mouth and some fussiness. AAP's teething page says it may bring a slight rise in temperature, but AAP's first-tooth page says a true fever, over 100.4°F (38°C), is not caused by teething. Blaming teething for a fever can delay care for an infection, AAP warns.

Is Ice Good for Teething Babies?

Not on its own: AAP's teething care guide says not to use ice or popsicles, which could cause frostbite of the gums, though for children over 12 months it suggests a piece of ice wrapped in a wet cloth for you to rub on the gum. AAP's oral health section adds that babies should not chew directly on anything frozen solid. For most babies, a ring or washcloth chilled in the fridge is the simpler route to teething relief.

Old-Fashioned Teething Remedies: What the Guidance Says Now

Many home teething relief remedies get passed down, and a few still hold up. Others, including several tips in the 2018 version of this post, do not match what FDA and AAP advise today.

Teething Relief at Night

For teething relief at night, AAP suggests light pressure on the gums or a cold teething cloth to help your baby back to sleep. A calm routine can help too: a bath, a bedtime massage or white noise on a low setting. If your pediatrician has agreed to a pain reliever, ask about a nighttime dose. Never put your baby to bed with a bottle, which AAP warns can lead to tooth decay.

Use the cloth or teether only while you are with your baby, and take it away before they fall asleep. AAP's safe sleep guide says to place your baby on their back on a firm, flat surface, with nothing else in the crib: toys and soft objects can cause suffocation or strangulation.

Feeding a Teething Baby

Sore gums can make feeds uncomfortable for a while. If your baby refuses nipple feedings, AAP's teething care guide suggests trying a cup; a spoon or syringe can be used for a short time. If feeding problems continue, or you think your baby needs to be seen, call your pediatrician.

For typical amounts by age, see our baby feeding chart and how much formula a baby needs. If you bottle-feed, our guide to preparing and storing baby formula covers the usual rules.

When Does Teething Start, and How Long Does It Last?

On average, babies begin teething around 4 to 7 months, FDA and AAP say, though timing varies a lot. AAP notes that most babies get their first teeth between 6 and 12 months, usually the lower front teeth first. Most have all 20 baby teeth by about age 3. Discomfort from a new tooth usually passes in 2 or 3 days.

Once the first tooth appears, AAP recommends brushing twice a day with a smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice. Book a first dental visit after the first tooth and by the first birthday. Our guides to baby gum care and baby teething stages cover the months around it.

Disclosure: This guide summarizes public guidance from FDA, AAP and the NHS for general information and is not medical advice. Formuland does not sell any of the teething relief products named here. Ask your pediatrician about your baby, especially before giving any medicine.

Frequently Asked Questions About Teething Relief