Things mothers did before the invention of baby teething gel

Baby teething gel is a relatively new invention and it has not been around until the turn of the new millennium, the few instances of chemicals being used for pain relief caused due to teething. Though baby teething gel is the best and most efficient way of relieving teething discomforts, it is still to be accepted as the ubiquitous remedy to baby teething.

It is understandable when parents feel uncomfortable about putting chemicals in their kid’s mouth. They fear the chemical in the teething gel could affect the baby’s health negatively. Although these doubts are totally unfounded, nevertheless, parents cannot feel safe enough about these gels and they look for traditional solutions that do not involve usage of foreign chemicals. Here you will find a few of those solutions that mothers consider safe when it comes to relieving their babies of teething pains.

1.       Rubbing the gums: We all appreciate the value of a good massage and when your baby suffers from aching gum, you can relieve the discomfort with a slight massage on the gums until the baby starts feeling better. However while doing so, you must take care to wash your hand with soap and clean water. Increase in blood circulation acts as a natural pain relief and soothes the baby.

2.       Cold Clothes: Wet a soft, clean cotton cloth and keep it in the freezer overnight until the temperature drops below zero, then take it and gently dab along the gums of the baby until it makes him feel comfortable. Those who do not mind pharmacy replacements for cold wet cloth can try using chemical patches filled with cooling chemicals in it. These however are not ideal for kids with teeth. Sharp teeth can break into the protective sheath and puncture the pouch, releasing the gel.

3.       Natural oils:  Clove oil has been used as the most common remedy for toothache since time immemorial; the first usage of clove oil can be traced back to ancient India where Ayurveda gurus made use of pure clove oil to alleviate teeth ailments. In India, many parents still prefer clove or even olive oil over baby teething gel. However, it must be noted that clove oil is quite potent and in concentrated amounts causes a burning sensation in the soft gums of the baby.

With all these alternatives to over the counter baby teething gel is that most of these have been known to cause one issue or the other. For instance, oils when swallowed disturbs the kid’s digestive system, cold objects can cause health issues like cold and cough. Despite the mistrust, baby teething gels are medically proven to be safe, effective and perfectly fine for babies.

Tips for buying Baby Paste

Oral hygiene should begin from an early age. When we speak of oral hygiene, we invariably speak of toothpaste and toothbrush, but we often neglect the very fact that kids need a different variety of toothpaste that is low in fluoride content and other harmful ingredients. In addition to the toothpaste, the brush must also be specially made for the soft gum of babies. Unlike choosing brushes that are easy to touch and feel, choosing a baby paste is not as simple as smelling and tasting it! An average tube of baby paste might contain harmful levels of fluoride in it, enough to cause damage to the delicate baby gums and dentures.

Carefully Choosing a Baby Paste

Fluoride is a very important ingredient that helps in the formation of foam and cleans teeth, but fluoride is not nutritious or tasty or good for the health, in fact swallowing it regularly over time is known to cause harm. Having said that, Fluoride helps in keeping teeth strong and cavity free, therefore we suggest you choose a baby paste that has a very mild amount of the chemical in it, ideally about 1 milligram in every gram of the paste for babies less than 3 years old. For kids aged 3 and above, a baby paste slightly higher in fluoride content is recommended. 

Irrespective of the age, always instruct your kid to use little amounts of the paste. More paste will cause copious amounts of foam which may be too much for the small oral cavity to hold, and since kids have a propensity of swallowing everything until the age of 3, excessive paste will end up in their stomachs.

The Fluoride Confusion

Parents often get confused about over the topic of picking the right chemicals in baby paste. While some people are of the view that chemicals such as fluoride is necessary for healthy teeth and it should be present at least in little amounts in the paste, others are extremely unconvinced about the chemical’s worth. Baby teeth never stick too long anyway and by the time kids turn 6 they will have lost and regained most of the existing dentures. The final set of teeth that appears at the end of the sixth year is what is believed to stay with the owner for the rest of the life. So the general opinion among dentist is to skip fluoride or use it in very small proportions for babies under the age of 4.  

And finally, always buy baby paste from a reputed brand for your tot!