What helps teething pain?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
What helps: a teething ring chilled in the fridge (never frozen), rubbing the gum with a clean finger, a dry chin against dribble rash, sugar-free teething gel for over-3-months, and child-dosed paracetamol for real distress. Skip amber necklaces (choking and strangling risk, no evidence), sugary teething biscuits, and any gel with lidocaine or benzocaine. The most useful fact: teething does not cause fever, diarrhoea, or a properly unwell baby - those are illness, not teeth, and a temperature of 38C or more deserves illness advice. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you tell teething from something else.
What to do
- Chill, never freeze: fridge-cold ring only - frozen damages gums.
- Use pressure: a clean finger rubbed on the gum genuinely soothes.
- Skip amber and lidocaine: one is a choking hazard, the other is not for babies.
- Fever is not teething: 38C or more means look for illness.
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