Are Wooden Teething Rings Safe?
What do you think of when it comes to teething? Do tears, dribble rash, discomfort and teething rings come to mind?
Baby teething rings are designed for babies to grab and chew down on, to ease the pain and discomfort they experience when their first set of teeth start to emerge. Baby teething rings can also double up as sensory objects to play with.
The most common type of teething rings for babies seen on the market are made of plastic and silicone. Some of which may contain fragments of loose plastics and the well-known harmful chemical, BPA (Bisphenol – A). BPA contains endocrine disruptors which are chemicals that can interfere with the body’s hormonal balance. When teething rings are used, they tend to be in and out of babies mouth throughout the day and night, as you can imagine this can carry a potential health risk if the plastic type of teething rings are continuously used.
What’s the alternative? Enter Wooden Teething Rings.
Wooden teething rings are most certainly a safer option, they are naturally sourced products that don’t contain synthetic chemicals and non-toxic materials. There are many types of wooden teething rings to choose from: cherry wood, walnut, madrone, alder and myrtle. The most recommended type to use is hard maple wood.
All of our teething rings are made with untreated hardwood maple and are CE tested, this is a wonderful rugged wood that doesn’t splinter.
BENEFITS OF WOODEN TEETHING RINGS
Compared to the not so healthy plastic teething ring; wooden teething rings are far more durable. Like many objects that baby associates comfort with, having a long lasting teething ring that will stand the test of time will be economical and reliable.
The main benefit is that of safety. After all, when it comes your child’s health, safety is paramount compared to convenience. Wooden teething rings do not have chemicals such as BPA, phthalates and other toxic metals and synthetic materials.
You can’t get a more natural product than wood, wood has it’s own antibacterial properties, when baby sucks on it they will also benefit from the antibacterial qualities that will help to ease their pain and discomfort!
Wooden teething rings are easy to clean, another bonus! A wipe with clean water and a wet cloth and you are done. It’s best to avoid soaking them so that they don’t become damp.
HOW TO LOOK AFTER A TEETHING RING
Looking after your babies wooden teething toy is important, as with most objects that go into your babies mouth, it’s best that it’s as clean as it can be, beforehand. You can choose from either treated or untreated wooden teething rings, there is a slightly different method to cleaning each type.
How to treat wooden teething rings
- Use a separate clean moist sponge and add some anti-bacterial liquid dish detergent to wash the teething ring. As mentioned before, avoid soaking the ring as this can lead to the wood swelling, cracking or splintering.
- Rinse the teething ring straight away and dry it thoroughly with a clean and dry dish towel.
- You may want to treat any stains with a mixture of equal parts of water and vinegar (vinegar is OK for babies to ingest), pop it into a spray bottle and spray the ring, then with a clean sponge, scrub the stains and dry with a clean dish towel.
How to clean wooden teething rings
You can clean untreated wooden teething rings in a similar fashion:
- Using a clean sponge, use water and liquid anti-bacterial dish detergent to wipe it clean.
- You can buy some rubbing alcohol, add some drops onto a ball of cotton wool and rub the entire teething ring with it until it becomes damp.
- Thoroughly dry the wooden teething ring, do not use a heated method to dry these products as it may dry out, making them crack or split.
- To treat the odd unwanted stain, use fine grit sandpaper to rub it off and a damp sponge to get rid of the excess sanding dust. If you use any oils on your wooden teething ring, you must allow the oil to complete absorb before the teething ring is used.
FINAL DECISION
Wooden baby teething rings are safer than plastic or silicone teething rings, they offer all the benefits of a standard teething ring with the added bonus of antibacterial properties and peace of mind that they are manufactured without chemicals, making them safer, durable and environmentally friendly.
We hope this blog helps you to see the benefits of choosing wooden teething for your baby. We highly recommend browsing through our wooden teething rings, they are beautiful to look at and the will help your baby through their teething days in a natural and safe way.
Other website used for reference:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-teether-study-bpa-endocrine-disruptors-chemicals/