Do you have a newborn or a young infant that is beginning to teethe? Are you trying to find ways to help soothe your child’s discomfort and, in doing so have landed on teething rings? While some of these have been used for years, and they can be great tools to use, teething rings may not be safe for your child if they are not used in a certain manner.
Here are some tips that could help ensure your child’s safety:
-Do not freeze the teething rings: Even though many people may have done this, and cool objects can relieve the discomfort of sore gums, freezing the rings shouldn’t be the answer. Frozen rings can become very firm and may cause injury to your child’s gums. Additionally, the extreme cold could cause frostbite. Instead, you could put the ring into your fridge, and you may still have a cold but not frozen ring.
-Avoid harmful chemicals: Seems fairly straight forward, right? Some teething rings contain chemicals like phthalates that could leach out over time and become ingested.
On the other hand, some liquid-filled teething rings have been recalled in the past because of bacterial contamination. Your child’s constant chewing could cause one of these to burst and the liquid to be accidentally consumed. Dr. Scott Healey may recommend that you use a teething ring made from firm rubber with no small parts that could present a choking hazard.
If you live near Lindon, Utah, and would like more information on teething, we invite you to call Scott M. Healey Dentistry at 801.653.0099. We would love to help you look after your child’s growing smile!
