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These are the best teethers for babies and toddlers! As feeding specialists, we broke down our favorite teethers and how to use them. See which ones made our list and why!
The bristles on this teether are soothing to a baby’s gums. It doesn’t go too far back in the mouth, and its ringshape makes it easy to hold and mouth. It comes with a hygienic carrying case, which is an added bonus.
Start offering this teether to baby at 3 months old and continue to use it when their teeth start erupting around 6 months!
This “octopus” teether is my all-time favorite teether! It is easy to hold and has finger-like stubs that are great for baby to chomp on. The stubs aren’t long enough to go too far back so you avoid constant gagging!
I recommend introducing this teether around 4-5 months of age. Continue to offer it during play as your baby nears 1 year old.
This is a very tough teether. It’s great for babies who have recently started solids and are starting to chewmore! The resistance helps strengthen baby’s jaw.
The shape of this teether makes it easy to hold! It’s a little longer, so it goes further back in baby’s mouth. This makes it a great teether to help push the gagreflexback and practice chewing in the back of the mouth.
Because this is a tougher teether, it can be soothing to chew when those baby teeth are coming in! Introduce this teether around 6 months and use it through toddlerhood!
These hollow teether sticks are great for a baby who is just grasping and bringing items to their mouth! No, they cannotchoke themselves with this teether. Choking occurs at the level of the windpipe (which is way farther than baby can push back), but it may elicit some gagging as these sticks can go pretty far back.
However, the best way to move a gag reflex back is to elicit it and work through it while strengthening the jaw!
These baby teethers can come in handy as baby wishes to bite further back in their mouth. Since these teethers are long and thin, they can reach further back and help with baby’s teething relief when the molars come in!
You get several teethers for an affordable price. Put one in the diaper bag and keep some at home so you always have one! Introduce these teethers around 4-5 months of age. You can use them into toddlerhood!
This rattle is one of my favorite toys for babies 3 months and older! It has pointed teething parts on top that are great for mouthing!
I recommend introducing around 3-4 months once baby starts reaching for items in the play gym. Bringing a toy like this to their mouth is usually the first step for self-feeding!
These two-sided spoons are one of the best products for starting solids, but even better to use as baby teethers first! The spoons have two different textured ends and a lip block so baby can’t push it too far back!
Put these into baby’s play rotation around 4 months and encourage them to bring the spoon/teether to their mouth. Practice that motor plan of self-feeding early!
These flat spoons make great teethers before starting solids. Since the baby uses them to teethe, the spoons will be even more familiar as they navigate the new world of solids. Putting food on a familiar spoon can really help baby have an enjoyable experience with first bites.
Use these spoons in play and offer them as teethers around 5 months of age!
This one is a spoon and a teether all in one! I love this 2-in-1 product!
It’s great for bringing to restaurants and attaching to a busy mat and using at mealtime! You can let your baby practice scooping at mealtimes!
Baby can teethe on the square end or the spoon itself. Introduce around 4-5 months in play, then bring to mealtimes!
When Should I Introduce Teethers?
During the first year, we want a baby’s mouth to experience different textures during play and meals to help regulate their oral sensory system. Teethers are an excellent way to do that!
Start to offer teethers around 3 months of age and continue into toddlerhood!
Why are Teethers Important?
Teethers help move the gag reflex back
Teethers help practice the motorplan for chewing
Teethers support mature oral motor development
Teethers are important for baby’s oral–sensory development
Teethers aid in introducing textures without introducing foods, and so on!
Teethers Can be Used for Pain Relief
Baby teeth can start coming in around 6-12 months of age. The Cleveland Clinic has a baby teeth chart which shows when baby teeth start to come in.
Teething can cause pain and discomfort with swollen and tender gums. You can provide teething relief for your baby by gently rubbing their gums and offering infant teething toys for them to chew on!
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Most parenting resources come from a single expert's perspective, but development doesn't really work that way.
You can't fully understand feeding without input from both a dietitian and a feeding specialist. You can't properly address milestones without OT, PT, and SLP perspectives working together. That's why every Eat Play Say resource is created collaboratively by our entire team — giving you the most comprehensive guidance possible, all in one place.
MS, SLP
Founder of Eat Play Say, Speech-Language Pathologist, Feeding Specialist, Play Expert, Mom of 2
Jordyn Koveleski Gorman
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and toddler speech-language, play, and feeding development, and curating a team that provides expert help that feels like a reassuring text from that one mom friend
EDUCATION: Jordyn received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Bloomsburg University and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “The first true smile, it’s the sweetest!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, oral motor dysfunction, starting solids, infant and toddler speech, treating oral motor disorders
EDUCATION: Jessica received her BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Pennsylvania State University in 2015 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University in 2017
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “Baby’s first wave! What a fun first communication gesture!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, starting solids, infant and toddler speech development
EDUCATION: She received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2014 and a MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “My favorite baby’s first is their first true smile that just warms your soul knowing they are smiling at you. My other favorite is their first word. I love watching their language explode!”
MS, CCC-SLP
Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist
Nicole La Petina Kelly
SPECIALIZES IN: Bilingual development (Spanish-English), supporting multilingual families, infant and toddler speech
EDUCATION: She received her BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders and in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology with an English-Spanish Specialization from Marquette University in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “It’s the first slobbery kisses for me!”
MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Olivia Rechel
SPECIALIZES IN: Fine & gross motor skills, sensory processing, self-care skills, autism spectrum support, sensory feeding difficulties, sensory processing disorder, social-emotional learning, and sensory related feeding difficulties
EDUCATION: She received her BS and MS in Occupational Therapy from Xavier University.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “The first time that little stinker focuses in on you. When you know they are matching that voice they’ve been hearing for 9 months to your face and your touch. When you see their brain piecing you all together. That is the best first for me.”
RDN, LD
Licensed Registered Dietitian
Kimberly Vede
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and pediatric nutrition including breastfeeding, formula feeding, and starting solids. She also specializes in prenatal and postpartum nutrition.
EDUCATION: She received her BSc in Biology in 2014 from Life University, and her BSc in Dietetics from Life University in 2019.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: ”The first time they say ‘mama!’”
From products to developmental toys – we round up all the best products for baby, toddler, preschoolers, & caregivers!
This checklist was created with input from a Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist and has been downloaded over 20,000 times by parents worldwide. Learn the important milestones to pay attention to, and keep it in your digital back pocket during the baby + toddler years!
Comprehensive Milestone Checklist for gross motor, fine motor, and speech-language milestones for 0-36 months,