When bubba is teething, rubbing a soothing gel on his gums may ease his discomfort. Here are the best ones.
Your baby’s pearlies may start cutting through as early as 4 months. Usually, the bottom front two are the first to appear, followed by the top two. When his little teeth push through the gums, this often causes discomfort, irritation, even some swelling. Teething can be a long drawn-out process that requires lots of patience, hugs and cuddles from you.
Your munchkin may suffer sensitive, swollen gums, drool a lot, be grumpy and experience sleepless nights ― no fun for the family at all. But you have ways to soothe those sore gums during the trying months.
You might want to offer him a teether to chew on, or let him gnaw on a clean towel you’ve chilled in the fridge. If junior has started on solids, you can place a cold piece of fruit in a mesh bag for him to gum.
Another way to deal with teething is to use a pain-relieving gel. Easily available at baby stores or pharmacies, these can ease pain and prevent infection. For a temporary numbing effect, simply rub a small amount onto your baby’s sore gums with some clean gauze. Here are some options to try.
Dentinox Teething Gel
PRICE $7.15/15g
FROM Guardian
WHAT Suitable from birth, this pleasant-tasting teething gel numbs pain even as it eliminates infection. Its active ingredients are cetylpyridinium chloride, a mild antiseptic that kills a bacteria, and lidocaine hydrochloride, a local anaesthetic that blocks the pathway of pain signals along the nerves. The gel is sugar-free.
PARENTS SAY It works like a charm, says Joy Koh, mum to Lucas, 8 months, “Nothing else worked for my boy ― I even used a little on myself when I had a toothache and the numbness brought instant relief.” Reasonably priced, it’s easily available at pharmacies and supermarkets.
Babyganics Say Aahhh! Benzocaine Free Gel Teething Pods
PRICE $16.10/10 pods
FROM Agape Babies
WHAT Single-use teething gel pods provide soothing gum relief, thanks to natural clove oil and stevia. It’s free from parabens, phthalates, toxins, artificial colours, flavouring and alcohol.
PARENTS SAY Many babies actually welcome this treatment, thanks to the pleasant-tasting clove oil. It also takes the edge off teething pain effectively. Pricey, since one pack only offers only 10 applications. Plus, there’s wastage as each pod contains more than enough for a one-time use product.
Soragel Antiseptic Oral Gel
PRICE $5.70/10g
FROM Guardian
WHAT Using a clean finger, rub a pea-size amount onto your baby’s gums every three hours. This antiseptic oral gel relieves teething pains rapidly for infants over 4 months old. The sugar-free product has a pleasant taste.
PARENTS SAY Though the packaging isn’t attractive, this remedy has positive reviews and seems to do a pretty decent job. We also like that besides indicating that it’s safe for babies, it notes that adults can also apply it on mouth ulcers, sores and denture irritation. The low price is another point in its favour.
Earth’s Best Teething Gel
PRICE $9.91/9.4g
FROM iHerb
WHAT The combination of peppermint oil, licorice, fennel, camomile and vanilla soothes discomfort and lessens irritability when your baby is teething. It’s 100 per cent vegetarian and not tested on animals. The gel does not contain benzocaine, clove oil and sugar, nor any parabens, mineral oils, synthetic fragrances, colouring and phthalates.
PARENTS SAY The cool numbing effect works well in calming baby. Free of chemicals, this all-natural organic product is safe for bubba.
Nelsons Teetha Gel
PRICE $19.90/15g
FROM 1010 Mother & Child Essentials
WHAT Well-known homeopathic brand Nelsons offers a teething gel to soothe sore and tender gums, flushed cheeks and the dribbling that comes with teething. Active ingredients are camomile, belladonna and aconite. It can be used on babies over the age of 3 months.
PARENTS SAY Pleasant tasting with a good texture that’s easy to apply as it isn’t sticky. However, some mums found that it’s less effective than other brands in the market. It’s also pricey, and we didn’t like that it contains ethanol.
Photo: iStock
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