When seeing your child suffering from teething pains you naturally want to help. But you may not want to use gum gels, pain killers or modern teething rings. Well, don't worry, people have been trying to ease teething pain for centuries and there are a host of old-fashioned teething remedies.

Increasingly, many parents are turning away from so called modern teething remedies. The idea of giving a small child chemicals to ease teething discomfort is anathema to many parents. Many are concerned about any possible side-effects of putting gels into a child's mouth. Also, teething rings and pacifiers have caused concerns lately. Some teething rings are made using diisononyl phthalate during the manufacturing process - this chemical is used as a softening agent and many teething rings contain about 10 to 20 percent phthalate; a chemical that is believed to be cancer causing. Although all reputable manufacturers have stopped using diisononyl phthalate many parents still have concerns about plastic pacifiers.

An old-fashioned teething remedy is that of using a damp cloth. You simply soak a piece of cloth in cold water and let your baby suck on it. The cold water helps to numb the gums and the sucking/chewing action also helps to alleviate pain. This is a highly effective teething remedy and it's the cheapest.

Bread has also been used. Again, giving the baby something to chew on helps to ease the discomfort of teething. Old-fashioned, whole meal breads work best. The bread should be hard and not liable to disintegrate in your baby's mouth, which can lead to choking. Bagels have been, and still, are a very popular teething ring. Always supervise your child when you give them something to chew on.

In some European countries there was a widespread belief that amber, worn as a necklace, eased teething pains. Amber teething necklaces still remain popular today. The belief is that amber helps teething pains because of the oils that are said to be released and then absorbed by the skin - amber being a resin and not a stone. The oils contain succinic acid and some recent research suggests that succinic acid stimulates the thyroid glands to help reduce drooling and soothe red inflamed cheeks as well as having calmative, analgesic, antispasmodic, expectorant, and febrifuge (anti-fever) functions.

Homeopathic remedies can be a safe, non-toxic way to help relieve the pain of teething. However, you should only use a homeopathic remedy in conjunction with expert advice and guidance. First discovered in 1835, by the Rev. Brauns, in Thuringia, Germany, Apis mellifica has been used to ease teething discomfort. Apis mellifica actually means whole honey bee. It became popular due to its ease of preparation and because it just seemed to work. Over the succeeding years, the preparation has gone through several changes to improve its efficacy.

These improvements involved the introduction and use of Apium virus (removed venom sack) and later Apis Venenum Purum (pure bee venom). You can still buy this preparation today. Other homeopathic products can also be bought, Hyland's Teething Tablets being the most well known.

There is one old-fashioned teething remedy that doesn't cost anything, doesn't require your baby to suck or chew on anything and is guaranteed to be 100% safe; distraction. The simple act of distracting a baby works extremely well for most babies and offers a chance for parents to play with their child.


Robin O'Brien is founder of a baby teething website where you can get more advice about teething symptoms and teething remedies.