Part 1: The Dangers of Treating Teething with Medication
When our children aren’t feeling so great, it is our natural instinct as parents to try and make them better. When it comes to teething remedies, some parents are under the belief that giving a child a little dose of Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen is okay. The people behind these products certainly want you to think so, but studies show that these drugs can often cause more harm than good. Links have been found between both Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen to asthma, respiratory disease and decreased lung function in both children and adults. In fact, according to Dr. Palevsky, a respected N.Y. area pediatrician, these medications are not safe for human consumption.
What’s more, “Tylenol/Acetaminophen is toxic to the human body. It causes liver poisoning. The analgesic effects derive from the liver’s attempt to fight the Tylenol by releasing enzymes to break it down. A liver that is not healthy or that is overwhelmed by other toxins, or that has not been sufficiently fueled by food intake, can become overwhelmed and fail, leaving the poison in the body to cause organ damage and death… Acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) accounts for 100,000 calls to poison control centers, 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths annually“(Markham).
Along with over the counter pain relievers, medicated teething gels and liquids should also be avoided.
Why? Because most of them contain benzocaine, which “is associated with a rare, but serious condition. This condition is called methemoglobinemia and results in the amount of oxygen carried through the bloodstream being greatly reduced. In the most severe cases, methemoglobinemia can result in death” (FDA). “Benzocaine gels and liquids are sold OTC under different brand names such as Anbesol, Hurricane, Orajel, Baby Orajel, Orabase, and store brands.” (FDA).
As painful as teething can be, it is a rite of passage of sorts, that every human, since we came into existence, has had to endure, most without the use of modern medication to numb the pain.
Because we do want our children to be as happy and comfortable as possible while teething, here are some great, natural and safe teething remedies.
Part 2: Natural Teething Remedies*
Amber Teething Necklaces
Baltic Amber Teething Necklace
How they work: The amber works therapeutically; as it is heated by a child’s body heat, the natural oils from the amber are released and absorbed into the skin. These oils are a natural analgesic (pain reliever) and help to calm a baby in pain.
Amber teething necklaces are made to be worn by babies and toddlers. They are short enough so that the necklace cannot reach the child’s mouth. Most have breakaway clasps and have a knot in between each bead so that if the necklace does break, which it shouldn’t, the beads will not spill all over. Similar necklaces are also available for adults to help relieve pains such as headaches.
What to look for in an amber necklace:
The most potent beads are ones that are lighter in color and that are raw and unpolished. Some people may be concerned that the unpolished beads will scratch their child; this has not happened with my daughter, as the beads really aren’t that coarse. Make sure that the necklace you purchase has a breakaway clasp and a knot between each bead. Also, make sure that you are buying the amber from a reputable source, so you know you are getting real amber as opposed to plastic beads. If you are not sure if your amber is real you can perform one or all of these tests to find out: Identifying True Amber (I like the information here, but I had an issue with my order, so don’t recommend purchasing here).
I purchased my son’s necklace from The Art of Cure; the quality of the amber they sell is excellent and beautiful. You can find these necklaces here: The Art of Cure. If you are in Australia you can purchase your necklace from AmbeRocks.
Teeth Tamer
Earthley’s Teeth Tamer
This teething remedy works wonders. My number one choice of all herbal teething remedies. It’s great for teething and also for any kind of toothache. It naturally soothes pain, drooling, and irritability due to tooth pain no matter what stage of life you’re in!
Mommy Teething Necklaces
A Necklace to be worn by Mommy (or Daddy)
These are necklaces meant to be worn by a caregiver, that a child with emerging teeth can use to teethe on. What I like about this is that because an adult wears it around his/her neck, if a baby drops it, it will not land on the floor, and thus, not need to be washed before giving it back to the child.
A product of Smart Mom Jewelry, Teething Bling is the original teething jewelry. Their products are non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, PVC, latex and lead free and all pendants come with a breakaway clasp as an added safety measure.
I really love these necklaces because not only do they look nice on, just like real jewelry, but my necklace kept my daughter happy whether cuddling with me at home or out at a restaurant or at a friend’s house. Here’s where you can purchase yours: Smart Mom Jewelry
Mesh Feeders
The Original Mesh Feeder – Sassy and Munchkin also have their own versions
The original mesh feeder was designed by a father looking to ease his child’s teething pain! Since then, other companies have jumped on the bandwagon by creating their own versions. I like the particular feeders pictured here; I have tried others and these are the easiest to open, to close and to wash. These are a great way for a child to teethe on something cold without it being plastic. You freeze a piece of fruit, put it in the teether and let the baby gnaw! The coldness of the piece of food helps to soothe and temporarily numb the baby’s gums. You can find these in stores selling baby products or on Amazon.
Natursutten BPA-Free Chill-It Teether
I love this company and love this teether; I find it great for when a baby first starts teething. My 10 week old already has his front two teeth visibly coming up and I hold this in his mouth for him while he gums it. It is filled with water instead of any gel-like substance like some cold teethers. It is easy to clean and it is made from non-toxic Eva plastic, contains no bisphenol-a, phthalates, or PVC. You can read more about it here!
Hyland’s Oral Relief 
As Hyland’s stands by, this “helps your little one find relief from mouth and gum pain. Hyland’s brings you the new Baby Oral Pain Relief tablets, perfect for soothing sore, swollen gums and relieving oral discomfort.” They also have a nighttime version. This reformulation comes after the FDA came down on them for once using Belladonna, which in the form they used, was completely safe, but alas, you know the FDA…
This is one of my favorite homeopathic teething remedies.
Camilia by Boiron
Camilia is a homeopathic liquid. It comes in tiny, individual packs that you squeeze into the baby’s mouth. The ingredients are as follows: Chamomilla vulgaris 9C HPUS (relieves teething pains accompanied by irritablity), Phytolacca decandra 5C HPUS (relieves painful gums), Rheum officinale 5C HPUS (relieves minor digestive disorder associated with teething) and purified water.
You can buy Camilia online here: Amazon, or you can find out where to buy Camilia in stores, click here: Where to Buy
RESOURCES
Markham, Laura. What Every User of Acetaminophen needs to know. Wellness.com. 3 July 2008. Web. 14 December 2011.
Palevsky, Lawrence. General Guidance if Your Child is Sick. DrPalevsky.com. Web, December 2011.
Tylenol Tied to Childhood Asthma and Allergies. August 13, 2010. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38690295/
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Safety Communication: Reports of a rare, but serious and potentially fatal adverse effect with the use of over-the-counter benzocaine gels and liquids applied to the gums or mouth. 7 April 2011. Web. 14 December 2011.
*Raising Natural Kids serves as an affiliate for Amazon, and links any products we use in our own homes and with our own families to Amazon when applicable. Any monies earned help us to run and maintain this blog.
Hypands just came out with a new teething product about 2 weeks ago in their new “oral pain relief” like. We purchased a day bottle and night bottle and it works beautifully. So far, because it is so new, I can only purchase it directly through Hylands
really? I will have to check it out!!!
Whoops! Hylands teething tablets have been recalled. Several deaths may have link to them. You should edit that out. Stores do not sell. Actually saw cvs carrying them.
Where can I get Hyland’s tablets or gel now? Anywhere??
you have to get lucky with stores that haven’t sold out of it yet… I would try the camilia (http://amzn.to/2jAO36o) instead, as it the Hylands are just about gone…
Glad I found this, we are in the middle of teething right now. Just finished my own blog post about it lol
Great list of remedies here. Well researched. My wife and I loved the silicone teething necklaces so much we decided to start our own range. Our son absolutely loves them, and we just don’t believe there’s enough awareness of this awesome product in Australia. If you’re interested in seeing our range, just pop along to http://bubbagummy.com.au
Just found your article via RNK on Facebook. Thanks for the dangers of Tylenol, I just shared it on another social site.
What do you know about catnip for babies teething? I used it (unintentionally) at first with my middle daughter and she was extemely calm when playing with the cat toy. She had a horrible time teething and had to put her in disposables every time more came in because she would get boils.
We use a different brand of teething tablets,but I couldn’t survive without them.
I have never heard of giving catnip for teething… I have heard of that combined with fennel for easing upset stomach…
Hm. Gonna have to write that one down. The research I did two years ago says it calms them. But other than that I don’t remember. It’s not an option with the youngest because we have a cat now.
My son has had a teething necklace on since he was 5 months old when he had his first rupture. He did not have it one for the first rupture and it was horrible, my heart broke and I did everything from nurse to frozen wash clothes. The next day I went out and got his amber necklace and he was fine the rest of his life with each and every new tooth. He recently had a molar come through and we only knew he did it because he kept putting his fingers in his mouth. Hyghland Teething tabs are used at night when he points to them if he needs them but that is very rare. Every kid is different so I am grateful my little guy is so easily pacified during such a hard time in their little lives.
Do you remember the color of his amber necklace? I bought a dark colored one because I liked how it looked better. Didn’t know the difference between colors. I don’t think they would let me return/exchange. Does anyone else have a dark one that worked?
Amber Necklace did nothing for my son except give him something to break. Hylands Teething tablets gave my son horrible Night Terrors. Camillia worked wonders but now doesnt work as he is 22 months old and I guess the amount isnt enough for him. Can I give him more? The freezer teething works till it melts and then he is right back at the whining and chewing. ALso it is his molars that are coming through now that seem to be giving him the most trouble. Other than freezer teether or Ice is there anything else I can try.
Acetaminophen is the most popular painkiller in the US. It is best known by the brand name Tylenol but is sold under 97 different brand names. It is known as paracetamol in many parts of the world. It is also sold in combination with other drugs in more than 100 products.During cold and flu season, people who take acetaminophen for arthritis are at risk for acetaminophen poisoning. Taking just twice the recommended dose of acetaminophen can cause acute liver failure. Unfortunately, this has already happened to an alarming number of people because it isn’t hard to do. Two years ago, more than 56,000 people visited the emergency room due to accidental acetaminophen overdoses and 100 people died from unintentionally taking too much. Worse yet, the numbers appear to be growing.*
Look at all of the helpful write-up on our very own blog site
<http://www.healthmedicinelab.com/canker-sore-remedy/
Thank you so much for this page 🙂 I am forever grateful for all the natural remedies you all provide. My LO is teething & in so much pain. I just purchased the above oil you suggested, an amber necklace from Inspired By Finn, we already use the teething tablets from Hyland & the gel for his gums! I also read soaking an organic cloth in camomile tea & freezing it can help. Has anyone tried this? I am hoping LO has some relief soon. <3
It came in the post very quickly and shortly after putting it on my daughter was noticeably calmer! and I haven’t needed to keep buying to other Daugherty! 😉
My with teething.
I bought son had an amber necklace from 4 months till he was just over two and we never had any problem one because I was living in Latvia at the time, and lots of kids there wore them, I had a least 5 people recommend one.
Best local internet store is Latvian Amber Store, they sell just authentic Baltic Amber.
There is link: http://www.latvianamberstore.com/#ecwid:category=2072066&mode=category&offset=0&sort=addedTimeDesc
can you tell me the difference in difference in the honey, lemon, butterscotch vs just the tradition ‘amber’. I am confused as to which is best. Thank you!
the lighter the color, the more potent the oils in the amber
Glad to see another parent admit that the amber beads aren’t a cure-all. Not trying to discount those that say they work- but they definitely don’t help my boy out much! But boy are they cuuuuuuute on him 🙂
I’ve been giving him chamomila 30X 3/day & they seem to be giving him some relief!
Hi I live in qld Australia I have a 7 mth old daughter who is teething I purchased some amber beads from a baby store but they are not really doing much are u able to tell me what else I can use for her please
Thank you
Jodie
have you tried the clove oil or the homeopathic products mentioned?
Thanks for all your great information. A friend of mine is expecting after 17 years of raising her last child and she is a little bit nervous because it has been so long. This will be great information for her.
Those Hylands teething tablets are the only thing that got us through teething. And my daughter, the child who likes every single food we’ve ever put in front of her, couldn’t stand the baby oragel. We put it on her once and she spit it out and looked at us like we’d just shoved dirt in her mouth, the think the weird fake flavoring and uber sugar was too much for her.
THANKS! You’ve swayed me. The stuff should be pulled from the shelves– quite disturbing 🙁
Also, I’ve done quite a bit of reading up on tylenol usage myself since even my homeopathic doctor doesn’t have a problem with it’s usage for severe teething symptoms (the Hyland’s teething tablets don’t have much effect on my kiddo’s misery either). From what I’ve read, the danger (& hospitalizations) are a result of overdoses. Sometimes a mom & dad will both dose the kid not realizing they’ve already been dosed, etc. According to my doc & the reasearch I’ve done, my extremely healthy child can handle the prescribed dose (I usually only give 1/2-3/4 the prescribed amount). Anyone’s thoughts. . . It’s the only thing I’ve found that can help my son get some relief.
You are right, a lot of hospitalizations are from overdose, but there are also links and studies showing that even the suggested dose is toxic to the liver. Acetaminophen builds up in the liver and the body cannot rid of it properly. This is a reason why unlike Ibuprofen, people who rely on drugs like Tylenol find they need larger doses after a while because their body becomes ‘used’ to the drug. If I ever need to give or use a pain reliever, I use what I feel is the lesser of the two ‘evils’ – Ibuprofen
Can you point me towards those links & studies? We use it very sparingly & it works wonders to alleviate his symptoms enough for him to get some rest. I’ve avoided clove oil because I read it can burn, but am willing to try any other remedies because if I don’t have to give him anything pharmaceutical I certainly won’t. I hate taking any pain relievers myself, but when I’ve needed them I’ve sure been glad to have them. I’ll switch to ibuprofen at the very least. THANKS for your advice & research! I really love this site!!
Sure! I may just post them in spurts as I don’t have them all in one place… (give me a little time to find them!)
ok, here are some links. You’ll see that even the couple of links that start off talking about tylenol being dangerous when taking more than the recommended dose, go on to say that the danger is still there at the regular dose.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38690295/#.Txl83phhKI4
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/46607.php
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainNews/story?id=7699582&page=1#.TxmoP5hhKI4
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/dec2007_report_acetaminophen_01.htm
http://www.wellness.com/blogs/DrLauraMarkham/51/what-every-user-of-acetamino
http://www.immune-health-solutions-for-you.com/acetaminophen-overdose.html
My 10 month old has worn a necklace for 2 months 24/7 & honestly I don’t feel it helped. His top 2 teeth came in during that time & he was still quite uncomfortable & still drooled a lot. Would it have been worse w/o the necklace? I’ll never know. But, I love amber, wear it myself & it looks so cute on him so he’ll continue to wear it. As in any other remedy, it’s not going to work 100% of the time for 100% of children. It can’t hurt to try though!! And yes, I did the salt water test to make sure it was real. Just wanted to add my experience since I’ve read so many comments by people who put the necklance on & instantly saw great results– not my experience. Hope it works for many others though!
Just curious – did you do any of the tests to see if yours is indeed amber?
As I stated above, I did the salt water test. It was cool! 1st dunked it in plain old water & it sunk, then put it in the salt water & it floated 🙂
sorry – didn’t see that! I am often checking and replying with a baby nursing and a toddler playing at my feet!
Thank you so much for the great information and product ideas. We have a 7 month old that has yet to break any teeth so I know it’s coming, and our oldest never really had problems so this is great preparation in case the baby has issues. Can’t wait to shop now, it’s not every day Mommy has an excuse to buy a necklace, ha ha.