Is It Safe for Babies to Chew on Ice?

Posted on 11/20/2019 by Fariba Mutschler

Babies are adorable and most people love them. However, they can become a challenge when they are feeling uncomfortable or in pain. One of these moments is usually when the baby begins to teeth.
During this process, the teeth start popping up from the gum making it quite uncomfortable for the child and even painful during most times. As such, they become very irritable, moody and cry a lot.

To soothe this pain, parents often try out a couple of remedies they think could work to soothe the irritation of the child's gums. One of these remedies is ice because of its numbing power and ability to soothe pain. Therefore, some parents give the baby some ice to chew on. But is this practice safe? It is not. Here is what parents should do instead.

Chew on frozen objects

Chewing on ice directly is not advisable; especially for small children who are just getting their first teeth. Since the baby's gums and dental structure is still developing, they might get injured while trying to break the ice. What's more, the raw, intense cold constricts blood vessels in the mouth, causing blood not to flow the way it should. Here the objective is to give the baby something that's soft but still cold enough to offer relief.

You can use a wet washcloth or even teething rings for this. Simply wet the washcloth or gauze and place it in the freezer for a while. As for the teething rings, their rubber like material is able to absorb the cold, which the child can then chew on without the likelihood of any harm coming to them. You can also use a mesh feeder which you can then add soft foods which have been chilled for a while such as sliced fruit. The cold will aid in the pain and discomfort while also providing something for the baby to chew on.

My daughter was a little nervous to have her dental work done but everyone in the office was super friendly and very reassuring and that helped her nervousness go away. Thanks for the excellent dental experience. ~ Lilyana G.

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Dr. Fariba Mutschler & Dr. Mark Mutschler have created this informative blog to help educate the community. If you like an article or the dental blog in general please use the share it button to post to Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
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