We tried Baby Orajel on our daughter when she began having teething pain. This product has a pleasant smell, and comes in a little tube. You squeeze a tiny amount on to your finger or a Q tip, then rub it on the little one's gums to provide teething relief. Or, so the instructions say. Reality, however, is a little different.

You have a tired, cranky baby who is wailing in pain. You attempt to shove a Q tip or your finger in their mouth to "relieve" their pain. They wail louder. Chances are the poor thing is drooling, so the gel runs right back out of their mouth. Then they get a taste of the stuff. They wail even more. If you aren't sure of why they are crying louder, taste the gel yourself. It is AWFUL.

So, you decide that once they are over the shock of the bad taste, the numbing relief will make things better. Wrong, again. Have you ever had your gums, tongue, or cheek numb? It is a terrible feeling. So the baby cries even more.

My pediatrician and dentist both warned me that this numbing effect was risky for very small babies. A baby under 6 months with a numb throat can suffer a couple of serious problems. The worst being SIDS. Apparently, if the baby gets too much of this stuff and already has a predisposition to breathing problems, they POTENTIALLY could have a breathing problem while sleeping. I say potential, because there is no medical literature regarding this, but my pediatrician and dentist both mentioned this.

The other risk is that a baby with a numb throat can't feel to swallow properly. So, again, if you put too much of this in their mouth, then try to feed them, they could gag, choke or aspirate the feeding. Again, only a potential risk, but any risk is too much for me.

Lastly, if your baby likes this stuff, and it happens to help your child, the relief lasts only 15- 30 minutes, then you have to repeat the whole process. The only use I can see for the Baby Orajel is for maybe the day the tooth actually breaks through, you could dab a tad on that spot and give a little relief.

Keep in mind, this is not a medical opinion, but I recommend cool cloths, cool teething rings, and Tylenol or Motrin as advised by your doctor for teething pain. Don't waste your money on this product.



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