Around 6 months but as early as 3 months, your baby may exhibit teething symptoms like extra chewing, drooling, biting, refusing to eat and, of course, pain and crying. These are a clear indication that he or she is teething. When it happens, you should consider using a teething pacifier as it may help your baby deal with the symptoms, especially with the pain.
It Can Make a Difference!
Regular pacifiers won’t damage a baby’s teeth at early stages (When the baby grows up, it’s a different story), but they are not ideal to mitigate teething symptoms. A teething pacifier, designed especially for babies who have started teething, can make a world of difference, since it
- helps ease the pain of teething by massaging the gums.
- gives the baby something safe to chew.
Research has shown that chewing enabled by a proper pacifier promotes tooth eruption.
The Main Types of Teething Pacifiers on the Market
A teething pacifier, unlike a sucking pacifier for a newborn, is especially designed for chewing. It come in a wide variety of materials and designs, depending on how far along your baby’s teeth are.
Binkies: look like regular pacifiers but with textured parts for chewing.
Pros:
- babies can suck and chew them
- work like a regular binky
Cons:
- might get chewed up once teeth come out, so must be replace with something stronger
Chewing rings: Soft, rubber or silicone rings babies can hold and chew
Pros:
- can be picked up and held
- may be frozen to help numb sore gums
- can be used when teeth erupt
Cons:
- may bother the baby if it’s too cold.
- need to be replaced when the baby’s front teeth come out.
Toy teethers: A toy with no hard edges, meant for chewing, coming in many shapes and sizes.
Pros:
- come in a variety of materials
- are a real toy
- can be used for molars
- can be used after front teeth appear
Cons:
- Toy teethers are usually for later stages of teething.