Like many kids, I had braces in high school. It was such a horrible and painful experience – feeling like my teeth were slowly being ripped out of my mouth. Then there were the routine tightenings – oi, those hurt!
Then as if that wasn’t enough, just before I began my last year of high school, I underwent major jaw surgery. They broke both jaws and repositioned them, using permanent titanium screws and plates to secure them. It was easily one of the hardest experiences of my life.
I also had eight teeth pulled in preparation for the braces.
So, needless to say, I know a thing or two about mouth/jaw/teeth pain.
Thus, when my babies are teething, I have sympathy. Heaps of it.
For the past several weeks, Canaan has been enduring three teeth coming in all at once (two of them are upper molars!), and they are taking their sweet time to do so. Poor kiddo. I think we’re through the worst of it now – he’s (sorta) happy again… but man was he ever in pain.
This our third baby and we’ve tried pretty well everything out there, it seems. I thought I’d share a few ideas with you!
Things to Try
1. Cold or frozen foods
Pickles, carrots, apple slices, frozen peas, etc. Give them cold, straight from the fridge (don’t use this one when baby has a top and bottom tooth because little pieces could be bitten off and become choking hazards). Canaan is a toddler now, and he loves dill pickles and apple chunks, and he eats frozen peas by the bucketful.
2. Homeopathic medicines (gel, tablets, camilia, etc)
The two most well-known makers of homeopathic teething meds are Boiron and Hyland’s. I haven’t been able to get my hands on any Hyland’s Teething Tablets, which I’d like to try. The Boiron Camilia is decent, but not always strong enough for the rough days, we’ve found. We have tried the Hyland’s Gel (applied straight to the gums) but I won’t buy it again because I’ve discovered there are parabens in it.
3. Vanilla extract
The real stuff, not the imitation. Check your label (or make your own!). The tiny amount of alcohol (vanilla extract is made with vodka) provides a numbing relief. Just apply a tiny bit with your finger.
4. Cold/frozen cloth
Dip it in chamomile tea and freeze it. Chamomile has calming effects. We have an organic cotton teething toy called a Ringley, and I have dipped that and frozen it before.
5. Sophie the giraffe
This toy, invented in France nearly 50 years ago, and is made from 100% rubber, with safe food-grade paint. It has been a hit with both of my younger two kids.
6. Your finger
If in a bind, your finger is always accessible, easy to clean, and nice and soft to chew on. Plus then you can feel how many teeth are in, and far up they’ve come.
7. Wood
Another natural material, wood is a worry-free option for gnawing and gumming. It’s also a little bit soft (depending on the type of wood), which is nice for baby. We prefer to use untreated and unpainted wood items.
8. Amber or hazelwood necklace
We had one of these gifted to us by friends who use one on their own babies. Some claim that they work wonders. I’ve had mixed results – it’s hard to measure and know for sure. I wasn’t sure with Aliza, but I’ve become more convinced that it works on Canaan.
9. Herbal remedies
Clove oil, belladonna, chamomile, etc. There are all kinds of herbal remedies out there to treat inflammation and pain. We’ve tried the clove oil very sparingly (it’s said to possibly cause tummy aches if overused), and it did seem to help, but we haven’t used it enough times to know for sure.
10. Prayer, and a hefty dose of patience
I’m guessing (hoping) that I’m not the only one who gets grouchy easily when the baby just Won’t Stop Fussing. It grates your nerves after a while, you know? A baby that is super fussy and whiny due to teething, not sleeping well, etc. usually requires extra doses of patience, and lots of prayer sent up, for both baby and mama.
11. Change of scenery/distraction
Sometimes, the only thing that worked when we were all about to go crazy was to just get out of the house. Go for a walk, go for a play date, go to the library. Or invite someone over. Anything for a change of pace!
Things I Avoid
1. Tylenol (acetaminophen)
We have used this in the past, but are learning about the associated risks (liver and kidney damage, etc) of taking it, and are swiftly moving away from using it at all, especially for our children. (We also try to avoid other OTC’s like ibuprofen as well.)
2. Teething gels
Most teething gels on the market contain benzocaine, a numbing agent. Most parents assume that these are safe, since they’re legally sold and marketed for babies. However, the FDA has recently stated: “Benzocaine products should not be used on children less than two years of age, except under the advice and supervision of a healthcare professional. Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to consider the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations for treating teething pain instead of using the benzocaine teething products”.
3. Joining the grouching
It’s probably pretty obvious to all of us, but sometimes it takes a real concerted effort to remain calm and not spiral into a pity party (I should say, I TRY to avoid this one, but don’t always succeed!).
4. Plastic teething toys
Due to the many concerns with plastics, I’d rather avoid them altogether instead of finding out down the road that they’ve banned yet another ingredient in plastic toys that babies are sucking and chewing on all day long. Life Without Plastic says “You may wish to seriously consider your – and especially your children’s – use of plastics numbered 1, 3, 6 and 7 (polycarbonate), all of which have been shown to leach dangerous chemicals. This does not necessarily mean the others are completely safe, just that they have been studied less to date” (emphasis mine).
(edited and reposted from the deep, dark archives)
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional, and this post should not be taken as medical advice. Please do your own research. Material on this blog is provided for informational purposes only. It is general information that may not apply to you as an individual, and is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical care or advice.
Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site
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