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Ease Teething Pain Without Medication

12 min read

Teething is a normal developmental process in which a baby’s first teeth move through the gums. It often begins during the first year, although the timing differs from child to child.

A teething baby may:

  • Drool more
  • Chew on hands or toys
  • Have tender or swollen gums
  • Seem temporarily fussier
  • Want more comfort
  • Sleep less comfortably
  • Eat differently for a short time

Child care providers may not be authorized to give pain medicine without written permission, medication forms, correct dosing information, and compliance with state licensing rules. Even when medication is permitted, many families and providers prefer to begin with simple comfort measures.

Medication-free care should be safe, supervised, hygienic, and appropriate for the child’s developmental stage.

It is also important not to blame every symptom on teething. High fever, significant diarrhea, vomiting, unusual sleepiness, breathing problems, dehydration, or persistent distress may indicate illness and require medical attention.

Understand What Teething Can—and Cannot—Explain

Teething may cause mild, temporary discomfort near the erupting tooth. Common signs include drooling, chewing, gum tenderness, and fussiness.

Teething should not automatically be used to explain:

  • High fever
  • Persistent diarrhea
  • Repeated vomiting
  • Severe cough
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Ear drainage
  • Widespread rash
  • Extreme lethargy
  • Refusal of all fluids
  • Signs of dehydration
  • Inconsolable crying
  • Symptoms that continue or worsen

A child can be teething and sick at the same time.

If a baby appears ill, follow the program’s illness policy and contact the family. For urgent symptoms, follow emergency procedures.

1. Offer a Chilled Teething Ring

A clean, chilled teething ring can provide pressure and coolness to tender gums.

Choose a product that is:

  • Designed for the child’s age
  • Large enough not to become a choking hazard
  • Made from durable material
  • Free of cracks, tears, or loose pieces
  • Easy to clean
  • Used according to manufacturer instructions
  • Individually labeled for one child

Refrigerate the teether when permitted, but do not freeze it. A frozen teether can become very hard and may injure delicate gums.

Avoid liquid-filled products that are damaged, leaking, or difficult to clean.

Safe child care procedure

  1. Confirm that the family has authorized the item.
  2. Label it with the child’s name.
  3. Inspect it before each use.
  4. Wash hands.
  5. Chill it in a clean, designated container.
  6. Supervise the baby while it is used.
  7. Remove it if damaged.
  8. Clean and store it according to policy.

Never tie a teething ring around a baby’s neck, wrist, crib, stroller, clothing, or car seat.

2. Use a Cool, Damp Washcloth

A clean, cool washcloth can give the baby a soft surface to chew.

To use one safely:

  • Use a clean cloth for one child
  • Dampen it with potable water
  • Chill it in the refrigerator
  • Do not freeze it solid
  • Fold it into a manageable shape
  • Supervise continuously
  • Remove it if threads loosen
  • Launder it after use

A washcloth may be especially useful for a child who refuses a rubber teether.

Do not soak the cloth in juice, sweetened liquid, medicine, alcohol, herbs, essential oils, or other substances.

3. Gently Massage the Gums

Light pressure from a clean finger may temporarily soothe sore gums.

Before gum massage:

  • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water
  • Remove jewelry
  • Check for cuts or skin infection
  • Follow the program’s hygiene policy
  • Use a glove if required

Use gentle, focused pressure. Stop if the baby resists, bites hard, becomes more upset, or has visible bleeding.

Hand sanitizer does not replace proper handwashing before putting a finger in a child’s mouth.

Do not rub the gums with:

  • Alcohol
  • Aspirin
  • Essential oils
  • Herbal preparations
  • Numbing gels
  • Powders
  • Sugar
  • Honey

Honey should not be given to infants younger than 12 months because of the risk of infant botulism.

4. Provide Responsive Comfort

Sometimes the most helpful response is calm, attentive care.

A teething baby may benefit from:

  • Holding
  • Rocking
  • Singing
  • Talking softly
  • A calm room
  • Familiar routines
  • Extra one-on-one attention
  • Gentle distraction
  • Supervised floor play
  • A favorite safe toy

Providers should respond to cues without assuming that every cry needs a teether.

The baby may be hungry, tired, wet, overstimulated, ill, or seeking connection.

Check basic needs first:

  1. Has the baby eaten?
  2. Does the diaper need changing?
  3. Is the baby tired?
  4. Is the room too warm or cold?
  5. Is the baby showing signs of illness?
  6. Does the baby need quiet or movement?
  7. Is the gum visibly tender?

Responsive comfort helps the child regulate even when it does not remove all discomfort.

5. Protect Skin From Drool Irritation

Increased drooling can irritate the chin, cheeks, neck, and chest.

Providers can help by:

  • Gently blotting rather than rubbing
  • Changing wet bibs promptly
  • Changing damp clothing
  • Keeping skin folds clean and dry
  • Using an individual clean cloth
  • Following written permission for barrier ointment
  • Reporting worsening rash

Avoid leaving a bib on during sleep. Remove bibs before placing an infant in a crib.

Do not apply creams, petroleum products, ointments, or medicated products without the authorization required by the program.

Notify the family if the skin becomes:

  • Raw
  • Cracked
  • Bleeding
  • Swollen
  • Warm
  • Oozing
  • Widespread
  • Unusually painful

6. Offer Cool Foods Only When Developmentally Appropriate

A baby who has already begun solid foods may find cool, soft food soothing.

Possible options depend on the family’s written feeding plan and may include:

  • Refrigerated purée
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • Plain yogurt when already introduced and appropriate
  • Other soft foods approved by the family

Providers must consider:

  • The child’s age
  • Ability to sit and swallow
  • Allergy history
  • Food already introduced at home
  • Texture
  • Choking risk
  • Refrigeration
  • Feeding supervision
  • Licensing rules

Do not introduce a new food for teething relief without family authorization.

Avoid giving a young baby hard pieces of raw fruit or vegetables, ice, frozen food, or other items that can break off and obstruct the airway.

7. Maintain Normal Feeding and Hydration

Some babies briefly eat less when gums are tender.

Continue to offer:

  • Breast milk
  • Formula
  • Approved meals and snacks
  • Water only when age-appropriate and included in the feeding plan

Do not dilute formula or replace normal milk feeds with water unless directed by a qualified health care professional.

Track:

  • Feeding times
  • Amount consumed
  • Wet diapers
  • Vomiting
  • Refusal
  • Signs of dehydration
  • Changes from the child’s usual pattern

Contact the family if the baby repeatedly refuses feeding, has fewer wet diapers, appears unusually sleepy, or cannot be comforted.

8. Use Safe Distraction and Play

During awake time, gentle activity can shift attention away from gum discomfort.

Try:

  • Singing
  • Board books
  • Mirrors designed for infants
  • Supervised tummy time
  • A walk outdoors
  • Music and movement
  • Safe sensory toys
  • Calm interaction with a caregiver

Do not use a screen as the primary teething strategy.

Maintain active supervision, especially when the baby is chewing on toys.

Inspect toys for loose pieces, peeling surfaces, broken seams, cracks, or trapped moisture.

Avoid Benzocaine Teething Products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns against using over-the-counter oral products containing benzocaine for teething pain in children younger than two.

Benzocaine can cause methemoglobinemia, a serious condition that reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.

Possible signs include:

  • Pale, gray, or blue skin, lips, or nail beds
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • Confusion
  • Headache
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Lightheadedness

Symptoms may occur quickly or after repeated use.

A child with possible methemoglobinemia needs immediate medical attention.

Providers should not keep benzocaine teething gels in an infant room or apply them at a parent’s informal request.

Avoid Viscous Lidocaine

Prescription oral viscous lidocaine should not be used for infant teething pain.

The FDA has warned that too much lidocaine or accidental swallowing can cause severe harm, including:

  • Seizures
  • Brain injury
  • Heart problems
  • Death

Teething products spread around the mouth and may be swallowed, making accurate control difficult.

Any medication used in child care should be:

  • Prescribed or permitted for the child
  • In the original container
  • Properly labeled
  • Within its expiration date
  • Supported by required authorization
  • Given by an authorized caregiver
  • Documented

Medication policy does not make an unsafe teething drug appropriate.

Avoid Homeopathic Teething Products

The FDA has warned consumers about risks associated with certain homeopathic teething tablets and gels.

These products may contain inconsistent amounts of active ingredients, and “natural” does not mean safe.

Do not use homeopathic teething:

  • Tablets
  • Pellets
  • Gels
  • Drops
  • Powders

A family’s use of a product at home does not require a child care provider to administer it.

Avoid Teething Necklaces and Jewelry

Amber necklaces, silicone necklaces, bracelets, and other teething jewelry can create:

  • Strangulation risk
  • Choking risk
  • Mouth injury
  • Entrapment
  • Broken-bead hazards

There is no reliable evidence that amber releases a pain-relieving substance through the skin.

Remove necklaces and other unsafe jewelry before sleep and active care according to program policy.

Never use a necklace as a chewing tool.

Avoid Essential Oils and Clove Oil

The legacy article suggested that clove oil might be effective if diluted correctly. That is not appropriate guidance for child care.

Essential oils can:

  • Irritate or burn oral tissue
  • Be swallowed
  • Cause allergic reactions
  • Be contaminated or inaccurately labeled
  • Create dosing uncertainty
  • Interact with medical conditions

Do not apply clove oil or another essential oil to a baby’s gums.

The same caution applies to homemade mixtures containing herbs, extracts, spices, or carrier oils.

Avoid Frozen Objects

Frozen teething rings, washcloths, spoons, food, and other objects may become hard enough to injure gum tissue.

Use cool or refrigerated items rather than frozen ones.

A cold metal spoon has appeared in older teething advice. In child care, a purpose-made, inspected teether or cool washcloth is generally easier to label, clean, handle, and supervise safely.

Do not allow babies to move around with a spoon or rigid object in the mouth.

Avoid Teething Biscuits for Young Infants

Teething biscuits may:

  • Break into choking pieces
  • Contain added sugar
  • Stick to teeth and gums
  • Be inappropriate for the child’s feeding stage
  • Introduce allergens
  • Conflict with the family’s food plan

For children developmentally ready for finger foods, any food should meet the program’s choking-prevention and allergy procedures.

Never give a biscuit solely because it is marketed for teething.

Cleaning and Infection Prevention

Teething increases hand-to-mouth and toy-to-mouth contact.

Use written procedures for:

  • Handwashing
  • Individual labeling
  • Cleaning
  • Sanitizing when appropriate
  • Air drying
  • Refrigerated storage
  • Damaged-item disposal
  • Preventing shared use

Do not place several children’s teethers loose in one container.

Store each child’s item so it cannot contact another child’s saliva.

Follow manufacturer instructions and licensing rules because some products cannot be boiled, chemically sanitized, or placed in a dishwasher.

Create an Individual Teething Plan

Ask families to provide written information about:

  • The child’s usual signs of teething
  • Preferred safe comfort methods
  • Approved teething items
  • Feeding changes
  • Allergies
  • Skin products
  • Medication authorization
  • Pediatrician guidance
  • Symptoms requiring a call

The plan should identify what the provider will and will not use.

For example:

Need Agreed response
Gum discomfort Chilled labeled teether or clean-finger massage
Extra drooling Blot skin, change bib, use authorized barrier product
Fussiness Hold, rock, quiet play, assess other needs
Reduced feeding Offer normal feeds, document intake, contact family if persistent
Fever or illness symptoms Follow illness policy; do not assume teething
Medication request Follow written medication policy and health guidance

Review the plan when the child’s feeding stage, teethers, symptoms, or medical needs change.

When to Contact the Family

Contact the family when:

  • The child cannot be comforted
  • Feeding drops significantly
  • The child repeatedly refuses fluids
  • Wet diapers decrease
  • A fever develops
  • Vomiting or diarrhea occurs
  • A rash worsens
  • Gums bleed unusually
  • There is facial swelling
  • The child appears lethargic
  • Symptoms differ from the child’s usual teething pattern
  • The provider thinks medical evaluation may be needed

For emergency signs—such as breathing difficulty, blue or gray color, seizure, severe allergic reaction, or unresponsiveness—call emergency services first and follow the program’s emergency plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can teething cause a fever?

Teething may coincide with a small temperature change, but a true or significant fever should not automatically be blamed on teething. Follow the illness policy and contact the family or health care provider as appropriate.

Is it safe to freeze a teething ring?

No. Frozen teethers can become too hard and injure gums. Chill a safe, intact teether in the refrigerator instead.

Can child care providers massage a baby’s gums?

Yes, when permitted by program policy. Wash hands thoroughly, use gentle pressure with a clean finger, and stop if the baby resists or the gums bleed.

Are teething gels safe for babies?

Benzocaine and viscous lidocaine products can cause serious harm and should not be used for infant teething. Homeopathic gels and tablets may also be unsafe.

Can babies wear amber teething necklaces at daycare?

They should not. Teething necklaces can cause choking or strangulation and have not been shown to relieve teething pain reliably.

Are teething biscuits a good medication-free option?

Not automatically. They may break apart, add sugar, introduce allergens, or create choking risk. Use food only when it fits the child’s developmental feeding plan.

When should teething symptoms be evaluated?

Seek guidance when the child has fever, persistent diarrhea or vomiting, severe pain, feeding refusal, dehydration signs, unusual sleepiness, breathing trouble, or symptoms that worsen.

Related Resources

Sources

ChildCareCenter.us is an independent directory and educational resource. Teething, illness, food safety, medication administration, and child care requirements vary by child and jurisdiction. This article does not replace medical advice. Follow current licensing rules, program policies, product instructions, and guidance from the child’s qualified health care professional.