Safe vs. unsafe ways to ease teething pain

How do the options compare?

The lens is a clinician's: guideline endorsement, pregnancy evidence, dosing, onset, and tolerability. Cost and formulation notes appear where relevant.

• FDA guidance recommends a teething ring made of firm rubber to chew on, not frozen and used with supervision, along with gently rubbing or massaging the gums with a finger as a safe alternative. 1
• Benzocaine and lidocaine gels or liquids should not be used for teething pain in children because they can be dangerous: benzocaine is linked to a serious, sometimes fatal condition called methemoglobinemia, and lidocaine solutions have been linked to heart problems, severe brain injury, seizures, and death. 1
• Homeopathic tablets and other homeopathic products for teething can be dangerous to children and can lead to serious injury, and even death, according to FDA guidance. 1
• FDA has received reports of death and serious injury to infants and children, including strangulation and choking, caused by teething jewelry such as amber teething necklaces. 1
• Independent testing of amber teething necklace clasps found 7 of 15 failed to open at the ASTM 15-pound safety standard for children's jewelry, and 8 of 10 failed to open at just 1.6 pounds of force, the mean force needed to occlude a young child's airway; a literature search turned up no scientific evidence the necklaces work as pain relief. 2
• Teething itself does not cause fever or diarrhea, so those symptoms point to something else; separate guidance on what to avoid includes never tying a teething ring or object around a child's neck, not placing anything frozen against the gums, not cutting the gums, and avoiding teething powders, aspirin, rubbing alcohol on the gums, and homeopathic products. 3
• For a child under 2 years old, the specific guidance is to check with a health care provider before giving any acetaminophen, including for teething discomfort, rather than dosing from a general age-based chart. 4

Which option makes sense?

The comparison above is intentionally evidence-first, not brand-first. Please consult your healthcare provider to translate it into a plan that fits your pregnancy specifics.

Disclosure: Pregnancy Smart makes pregnancy supplements, though not in this category. This comparison is a plain description of the pregnancy evidence, not a sales page.