“Should I give my child whiskey while teething?”
My son is teething and is in so much pain because of it. My mom recommended putting a small bit of whiskey on my baby's gum to soothe it, which is what she did with me. But is this really a good idea?
10 Answers
Not usually. Try ice rings
It's not what we recommend, usually a cold chewable item that's safe and appropriate will help.
Definitely not.
I highly recommend avoiding using any form of alcohol to soothe your baby's gums or teething pains. Once you know for certain that your baby's discomfort is caused by teething (ask your family dentist), then steps can be taken. Some people use topical anesthetic gels like Oragel, but using benzocaine-containing gels on kids under 2 years of age carries a risk of them developing a rare, but serious, condition called Methemoglobinemia. I recommend safer, non-toxic ways to treat teething:
1. Wet one end of a washcloth and briefly freeze it - let your baby to chew on it.
2. Use clean fingers to gently massage your baby's gums.
3. Once your baby has started eating solid foods, serve them chilled puree or yogurt. Chilling the spoon in the fridge first will help even more.
Hope these tips helped.
1. Wet one end of a washcloth and briefly freeze it - let your baby to chew on it.
2. Use clean fingers to gently massage your baby's gums.
3. Once your baby has started eating solid foods, serve them chilled puree or yogurt. Chilling the spoon in the fridge first will help even more.
Hope these tips helped.
I am not a proponent of that treatment and have practiced over 30 years. A cold washcloth to have them chew on helps numb and eases their discomfort.
Highly not recommended. Oral gel is much better and can be purchased at almost any drug store. Also, a pediatric dose of ibuprofen will help with the pain.
I don’t recommend it
Whiskey would not be on the American Dental Association list of approved medications for any child. Better to use an ADA product such as or Orajel, which has slight traces of anesthetic compounded in it.
No. Use Orajel.
I have heard of swabbing gums with whisky when children are teething to help with teething discomfort. So, you are not actually giving the baby whisky you are swabbing the gums with some form of consumable alcohol which is some what antibacterial. However, these alcohols contain sugars that feed bacteria. Discomfort and pain in teething comes from the presence of inflammation. The inflammation comes from the presence of bacteria in the area while tissue around the erupting tooth is reorganizing with the eruption of the new tooth. Bacterial levels are best controlled by gently swabbing the area with a warm or cool wet wash cloth. Keeping the area clean will keep bacteria levels down and reduce and or eliminate the discomfort or pain in tooth eruption making whisky unnecessary.
Dr. Grimm
Dr. Grimm
