Providing Babies with Teething Pain Relief

Teething and the pain that comes with it is normal. Often, teething pain only causes slight discomfort in your baby which is not a reason for concern. However, if your baby becomes irritable, unable to eat, or restless at night due to teething pain, it is time to provide some teething pain relief. Here are some tips that can help you and your baby overcome teething pain:

1. Provide your baby with chilled teething toys or food.

Chill child-grade and safe teething toys for your baby to chew on. The coolness of the toys can soothe your baby's gums and make teething pain more bearable. Alternatively, you can also provide him with chilled or cold food like frozen bagels or ice pops. Aside from being edible, chilled foods also provide the necessary coolness to alleviate teething pain. Another option you might consider is letting your child chew on a chilled, clean, and lint-free washcloth. The coolness of the washcloth can provide relief from teething pain while absorbing your baby's excess drool.

2. Massage your baby's gums.

Teething pain is often triggered by the unequal pressure caused by the new tooth. To neutralize the imbalance, you can gently massage your baby's gums with your finger. Not only does the pressure brought by your finger relieves teething pain but it also improves blood circulation in the gums to ease the new tooth into coming out.

3. Use infant pain gels.

If you need to go out during the day, an infant pain gel is a convenient way to stop teething pain temporarily. Similar to a topical anesthesia, an infant pain gel numbs your baby's gums for a period of time to block pain signals. Infant pain gels are also useful at night to ensure a good night's sleep for you and your baby.

4. Raid your pantry for homemade teething pain relief.

You may not know it but your cupboard and pantry can have the safest remedies for teething pain. Massaging a bit of clove oil on your baby's gums can temporarily alleviate teething pain. Cloves and clove oils have numbing and warming properties that can effectively put teething pain in check. Another option is to let your baby chew or suck on natural licorice sticks. Instead of warming the gums like clove, licorice cools your baby's mouth and gums while slightly mumbing it to soothe pain caused by teething.

5. Administer infant pain relievers.

If your child experiences teething pain due to excessive soreness in the gums, you might want to consult a pediatrician. He or she can prescribed infant-grade pain relievers for your baby's teething pain. Pay attention to instructions and stick to the precribed dosage when giving your baby infant pain relievers.

When your baby cries due to teething pain, remember to keep calm. Your baby can sense if your agitated or tense and might follow the same route. Help your baby calm down by cooing and providing relief from teething pain. Talk to your baby's doctor about other ways you can relieve your baby's teething pain.