Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
As an Amazon Associate, Kids Eat in Color® earns from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links.
Author:
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
Coauthors:
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
Share
+
Inside: The best teethers for babies to help prevent and reduce picky eating are listed below. We’ll break them all down and help you pick the best ones for your baby!
You’re here because you need a teething toy for your baby. Our hearts go out to you.
Nothing can prepare you for the moment you realize the drooling, the fussing, the middle of the night wake ups are due to teeth coming in.
It’s a hard phase. Just know that eventually all those teeth do come in.
In the meantime, we want to help! We want to give you something your baby will enjoy chewing on, and something that will be useful for the future when they’re ready to start eating solid foods!
Keep reading to learn about the best teethers for baby.
Teethers can help reduce picky eating
You may not know it, but there are teethers that can help your baby eat better and reduce some picky eating.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about teethers for babies that will do double duty, improving teething now and improving eating later.
There are various reasons that teethers help your child with their eating.
Teethers help desensitize your infant’s mouth
When your infant chews on a textured teether, they are getting used to new or different textures in their mouth.
Think about the food you ate today or yesterday. What did it feel like in your mouth? Soft? Hard? Bumpy?
You are used to the feel of different foods in your mouth and your baby needs to get used to them too.
Many picky eaters have a hard time eating certain textures.
The right teethers can start your child off on the right foot.
Teethers help teach your baby to chew
Teethers that can reach your child’s back gums help them learn to chew.
Having something on their back gums makes them want to bite down on it. This is exactly what you want when it comes to chewing foods as well!
The motion of biting down on something over and over is the basis of chewing.
How many teethers do you need?
It’s totally up to you how many teethers you want to have. Sometimes it’s helpful to try a few to find out what works best for your infant and for you.
If you want some help making the decision though, we recommend one (or a set) that you can freeze, and one with longer arms that they can chew on with their back gums.
Now let’s get to the recommendations for the best teethers for baby.
The best teethers for baby that reduce picky eating
If you want to look through a bunch of great teethers for babies, here’s a list to browse. These baby teethers can help reduce picky eating.
Note: All of the following recommendations are meant for teething babies, not for older children who need to learn chewing skills or who need extra chewing stimulation.
1. The Comotomo Silicone Baby Teether
This silicone teether is great for chewing on and reaching a little bit further for the gums.
2. HABA Clutching Toy Star Silicone Teether
We like this teether because it has several different textures all in one teether!
3. Baby Teething Tubes
Teething tubes can reach all the way to the back molars. Make sure you are watching the baby with these though, because they can reach pretty far back and trigger the gag reflex.
4. Fluxy Oral Motor Tool
This teether is GREAT for reaching the back gums, but not so long that you need to monitor it. It has several different textures as well.
5. Freezer-Safe Infant Teething Set
These freezer-safe teethers are great because you can freeze them so your baby gets a cooling sensation when they bite on it.
There are many different textures in the set and because there are a bunch of them, you can keep them in different places, like the diaper bag, on the changing table, in the stroller, etc.
6. ZoLi Bunny dual nub teether
This nub teether comes in a 2-pack which is convenient. It has the nubs for reaching back a little further.
7. NumNum GOOtensils
If you don’t like to buy lots of different things, you can go straight to the multi-purpose tools. These utensils can be used as teethers, they are great for chewing on, and you can use them once your infant starts eating solid foods.
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Jennifer Anderson is a registered dietitian and has a masters of science in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In 2019, she founded Kids Eat in Color®, a public health resource that improves child and family nutrition and mental health. Prior to starting Kids Eat in Color® she coordinated youth nutrition programs at a food bank, performed research in inner-city food deserts, and consulted for the USDA national office SNAP-Ed program. Her academic background is in public health nutrition, cultural anthropology, and economics.
Related articles
Breastfeeding Beyond Maternity Leave: Tips for Pumping at Work
Inside: The best teethers for babies to help prevent and reduce picky eating are listed below. We’ll break them all down and help you pick the best ones for your baby!
You’re here because you need a teething toy for your baby. Our hearts go out to you.
Nothing can prepare you for the moment you realize the drooling, the fussing, the middle of the night wake ups are due to teeth coming in.
It’s a hard phase. Just know that eventually all those teeth do come in.
In the meantime, we want to help! We want to give you something your baby will enjoy chewing on, and something that will be useful for the future when they’re ready to start eating solid foods!
Keep reading to learn about the best teethers for baby.
Teethers can help reduce picky eating
You may not know it, but there are teethers that can help your baby eat better and reduce some picky eating.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about teethers for babies that will do double duty, improving teething now and improving eating later.
There are various reasons that teethers help your child with their eating.
Teethers help desensitize your infant’s mouth
When your infant chews on a textured teether, they are getting used to new or different textures in their mouth.
Think about the food you ate today or yesterday. What did it feel like in your mouth? Soft? Hard? Bumpy?
You are used to the feel of different foods in your mouth and your baby needs to get used to them too.
Many picky eaters have a hard time eating certain textures.
The right teethers can start your child off on the right foot.
Teethers help teach your baby to chew
Teethers that can reach your child’s back gums help them learn to chew.
Having something on their back gums makes them want to bite down on it. This is exactly what you want when it comes to chewing foods as well!
The motion of biting down on something over and over is the basis of chewing.
How many teethers do you need?
It’s totally up to you how many teethers you want to have. Sometimes it’s helpful to try a few to find out what works best for your infant and for you.
If you want some help making the decision though, we recommend one (or a set) that you can freeze, and one with longer arms that they can chew on with their back gums.
Our top picks that fit that category are:
1. Fluxy Oral Motor Toy
2. Freezer-Safe Teething Set
Now let’s get to the recommendations for the best teethers for baby.
The best teethers for baby that reduce picky eating
If you want to look through a bunch of great teethers for babies, here’s a list to browse. These baby teethers can help reduce picky eating.
Note: All of the following recommendations are meant for teething babies, not for older children who need to learn chewing skills or who need extra chewing stimulation.
1. The Comotomo Silicone Baby Teether
This silicone teether is great for chewing on and reaching a little bit further for the gums.
2. HABA Clutching Toy Star Silicone Teether
We like this teether because it has several different textures all in one teether!
3. Baby Teething Tubes
Teething tubes can reach all the way to the back molars. Make sure you are watching the baby with these though, because they can reach pretty far back and trigger the gag reflex.
4. Fluxy Oral Motor Tool
This teether is GREAT for reaching the back gums, but not so long that you need to monitor it. It has several different textures as well.
5. Freezer-Safe Infant Teething Set
These freezer-safe teethers are great because you can freeze them so your baby gets a cooling sensation when they bite on it.
There are many different textures in the set and because there are a bunch of them, you can keep them in different places, like the diaper bag, on the changing table, in the stroller, etc.
6. ZoLi Bunny dual nub teether
This nub teether comes in a 2-pack which is convenient. It has the nubs for reaching back a little further.
7. NumNum GOOtensils
If you don’t like to buy lots of different things, you can go straight to the multi-purpose tools. These utensils can be used as teethers, they are great for chewing on, and you can use them once your infant starts eating solid foods.
Related: Best Utensils for Babies Starting Solids
8. Nuk Brush
This teether gives your infant a much stronger texture sensation which can help if they are struggling with textures.
9. ZoLi Chubby Gummy Teether
Try a long teether that your infant won’t be able to push too far back into their mouths. This still gives them great stimulation for their back gums.
10. Nuby NanaNubs Banana Gum Massager
This popular gum massager can also be fun for babies to chew on.
We’re wishing you the best of luck through the teething phase!
Read about baby nutrition & starting solids