Soothing tips for new baby teeth

When your little one’s baby teeth are peeking through, you may find her eager to chew on anything. This is perfectly normal. In fact, babies start mouthing objects long before they get their baby teeth.

You will probably notice an increase in saliva and drooling when your baby begins teething, and her gums may be slightly swollen and tender. Chewing is your baby's natural way to relieve teething pain, so keep plenty of teething rings on hand.

Teethers come in a variety of shapes, textures, and colors pleasing to babies. Some contain sanitized water and can be chilled in the refrigerator to provide soothing relief to sore gums. Be sure to never freeze your baby’s teething ring.

In the weeks before a tooth appears, a lot of babies have teething pain. Here are some things you can do to soothe your baby’s pain:

• Give your baby a teether. The pressure on her gums will help ease the pain.
• Rub a tiny dab of teething gel along her gum line to numb the pain.
• Instead of warming her baby food, chill it. Some babies like the taste and feeling of cold foods when they're teething.
• Massage your baby's gums with a finger brush made just for teething babies. It fits on your finger and gently soothes the baby's gum as you rub it. The brush also lets you easily apply baby teeth and gum cleanser.