Teething Tips

1. Cold Teether - Give your baby a cold teether. A teether with texture may provide extra satisfaction. Be careful providing a teether to a child with teeth. He could puncture it.

2. Cold Food - You can try a cold carrot for a child that doesn't have teeth yet. If your child has teeth, he might choke on pieces of carrot. You can also give your child a frozen banana. As always, with any food you feed your baby, be sure to supervise closely.

3. Something to Chew on - Use teething biscuits in moderation once teeth appear as they can cause tooth decay.

4. Entertain your Child - Sometimes a simple distraction can help your baby forget his pain temporarily.

5. Rub your very clean finger against the gums - Your baby may object at first, but soon the counter pressure may provide some relief.

6. Cool Bottle of Water - This may help numb the soreness of the gums

A note on teething gels: Experts caution against the excessive use of teething gels as they contain benzocaine. There is a risk of allergic reaction. In addition, benzocaine can cause numbing of the throat and could lead to choking.