1. Don't use pain relief gel too often - If you overuse the gel, it may numb baby's throat and disable his gag reflex - a gag reflex keeps him from choking. Although these types of teething remedies are usually safe, they can cause an allergic reaction in some people.
2. Don't put anything sweet, like honey, on pacifiers or dummies. Your baby will soon expect the sweet taste and may reject a normal pacifier. If your baby already has some teeth, the sugar could cause decay.
3. Don't give your baby a lot of fruit juice - Even natural fruit juices contain a lot of sugar, but, even worse, they also contain acid which can wear the teeth away over time. Give natural fruit juices in a cup, not a bottle, which may stay in contact with the teeth.
4. Don't use toothpaste containing a lot of fluoride - A baby will swallow the toothpaste so use a children's toothpaste with less fluoride (or no fluoride) until they are able to spit it out by themselves. Fluoride is toxic in excess.
5. Don't rub gums with alcohol - Alcohol is not up there with the best teething remedies, but some parents insist on using it. Perhaps they think the alcohol will help get baby to sleep - it won't!
6. Please don't tie your baby's teething ring around his neck - It may get caught in something and strangle him. Attach it to his clothes instead
7. Don't offer any teething rings which contain liquid - Avoid rubber or plastic teething rings with liquid inside because they may break and leak. If you do use a teething ring, cool it in the freezer for a while. However don't forget to take it out before it solidifies, it may hurt baby's sore gums.
8. Don't forget to clean milk teeth each day - Why bother cleaning teeth that are soon going to fall out? Milk teeth can become decayed and fall out before they should. Those first teeth serve as a guide for the second teeth appearing after. Without the milk teeth to guide them, the second teeth may be crooked and misaligned. Also cleaning the milk teeth sets up good habits in a young child. Habits picked up at an early age usually stay with us for life.
9. Don't dose your baby up with Tylenol - Although it's generally thought to be safe, Tylenol may cause damage to the liver on overdose. Never exceed the maximum daily dosage!
10. Don't give baby aspirin, it's dangerous. Aspirin has been linked to a potentially fatal condition known as Reye's Syndrome in children. It's rare, but not worth the risk. So don't even rub baby's gums with anything containing aspirin.
You may be wondering if there is anything left that's safe to do. There's plenty!
Pop a damp face washer in the freezer for a while and let your baby chew on it. The cold will help to numb sensitive gums. Rubber teething rings or rings filled with water are fine to use, put these in the fridge too.
Natural teething remedies for babies contain safe and natural ingredients like:
Calcium phosphate promotes both healthy circulation and strong teeth and bones, Passiflora (Passionflower) soothes anxiety and promotes calmness and relaxation, Chamomilla (Chamomile) is a well known herbal remedy for teething which also supports sound sleep and Matricaria Recutitais soothes the nervous system and calms irritability during teething.
Recently there has been some issues about the dangers of teething tablets, so ensure that any remedy you are considering is completely safe.