Teething can be an uncomfortable process. As those first teeth cut through a young child's gums, the child often experiences pain and consequently becomes fussy and cranky, which can in turn be an exhausting event for parents. Time-tested home remedies can help relieve a teething child, but if the child is running a fever or does not respond favorably to home treatment, seek medical attention immediately.
Cleaning
Cleaning baby's gums before teeth appear help ensure that gums are healthy, reports Dr. John A Bogert, DDS, in the Rodale Press Doctor's Book of Home Remedies. Bogert, executive director of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, recommends massaging baby's gums with a piece of gauze or small baby washcloth wrapped around the finger. This helps remove bacteria build-up, and gets the child comfortable with the practice of cleaning inside the mouth, so cleaning that first tooth will be easier. Healthier gums means teething will go easier, and less bacteria helps ensure that teething experience does not wind up creating a painful infection or cavity. Daily gum massage during teething can also be done with by rubbing olive oil, pure vanilla extract or a small piece of ginger on the gums to help relieve pain, according to the family health editors at I Love India, an Indian lifestyle magazine.
Cooling
Giving gums the cold treatment is a long-standing traditional home remedy for a child cutting their first teeth. The editors at I Love India suggest soaking a baby washcloth in soothing camomile tea, then freezing it and allowing baby to chew on the washcloth. Freezing a bagel, carrot or banana and letting baby chew on that will also sooth baby's gums as well as distract him with the pleasant flavor. Freezing a pacifier will also work, suggests Nila Lenna and Eboni Baugh of the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service Family Youth and Community Science office. Breastfeeding helps to encourage proper tooth development, and nursing can relieve a fussy teething child, the Florida Cooperative Extension office advises.
Chewing
Chewing helps relieve a teething child's pain and also helps encourage the teeth to work through the gums faster. Helen Neville, a pediatric nurse at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland, California, reports in the Rodale Press Doctors Book of Home Remedies that a chunk of cold apple wrapped in a baby washcloth makes an excellent teether; unlike commercial plastic teethers, an apple tastes good so it encourages stronger chewing. Waffles cut into finger-sized strips and frozen are another chewing option, as are wooden teething rings--just make sure that they have a non-toxic finish and inspect them regularly to ensure that the wood is not splintering.
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