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The Best Baby Teething Toys for Sore, Swollen Gums

Stick to the basics, parents.

by Donna Freydkin
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

The first tooth is cause for celebration, and gloriously cute Instagram posts. Reality, however, sets in soon after, as parents deal with screaming children and their very sore gums. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, baby teething usually starts somewhere between four to seven months. The two front teeth (central incisors), either upper or lower, usually pop up first, followed by the opposite front teeth. The first molars arrive next. And none of that is fun, which is why it’s wise to invest in teething toys. The best baby teethers, per the AAP, should be cool to the touch but “tough to chew on.” Teething rings are a good idea.

Not a good idea: Teething necklaces and beads, because of the risk of choking, or plastic teething rings filled with liquid, which babies can bite through and then access the often bacteria-laden liquid inside.

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