The Best Teething Toy

As your baby approaches three months of age, you’ll want to begin watching for signs that they are teething. These signs include excessive drooling, mouthing objects, irritability, sore gums, trouble sleeping and sometimes a low-grade fever. Once your baby starts exhibiting these signs, you’ll want to help relieve the pain and encourage the teeth to break through the gums.

Parents will find that teething toys are an excellent aid during the teething process. There are even plenty of teethers on the market to choose from. The most important thing to do is to make sure the teething toy is free of BPA, phthalates and other toxins. Your baby is going to be chewing on the toy and you don’t want these harmful chemicals to enter your baby’s system.

One option is to go with a simple teether that is attached to a bib. The bib provides the added benefit of absorbing any excess drool. The teether is also attached to the bib, which means your baby won’t drop it on the dirty floor.

There are also teethers that can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer. The cooler temperatures will not only feel good on baby’s gums, but they will also help reduce inflammation. Look for teethers that also have textured surfaces, as these will help massage the gums and provide another layer of pain relief.

If you don’t want to purchase a teether that will only be used for a few months, you can go with a model that is more like a traditional toy. There are teething toys that have fun loops for baby to hold, as well as built-in rattles for your baby to shake.

• Always check the washing instructions for teethers that are attached to bibs. Some bibs, although machine washable, may shrink when placed in a dryer. For these, you’ll need to hang them up to dry instead.
• Many teething toys cannot be boiled or sterilized, especially the ones that are filled with gel. They are also not dishwasher safe because dishwashers use high temperatures.
• Teething toys that require hand washing must still be cleaned according to the instructions on the product packaging. For example, some teethers should not be totally submerged in water.
• When examining teething toy prices, you’ll need to take into consideration how many teething toys you are getting for the price. For example, while the Vuminbox Bandana Drool Bibs & Teething Toy, 6-Pack initially looks more expensive than the Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys, you’ll find that after diving the total price by the six toys you get in the pack, it is actually much cheaper. The same thing goes for the SILIVO BPA Free Silicone Teething Toys, 9-Pack and the Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy. Although they have the same purchase price, the SILIVO gives you nine toys to the Winkel’s one.