Are wooden teething rings safe for babies and Toddlers ?
Welcome to our ‘ Are wooden teething rings safe for babies and toddlers ‘ article.
Who knew choosing the right teething ring for your baby could be so challenging? Well, I, for one, didn’t think I’d be walking into a complicated maze until I had to choose my baby’s teething ring from an array of various materials such as silicone, natural rubber, BPA-free plastic, and even wood.
This made me ask myself an essential question: Are wooden teething rings safe for my baby? Several reasons made me lean towards wooden teething rings, one of them being that they were made of naturally occurring materials.
I decided to investigate further with the hopes of coming to a logical conclusion on whether wooden teething rings could be the best choice compared to all other materials. I hope this article will help provide some insight to other parents and help them make the best decision for their infants.
I know that, at some point in early parenthood, you’ve asked yourself this very question, or at least you are questioning yourself right this very moment. Which teething ring is safe for my baby? This article focuses specifically on wooden teething rings and whether they are safe for your baby.
What makes wooden teething rings stand apart from the rest of the teething rings made from other materials?
There are several reasons why wooden teething rings are the best choice for your child. If you are super concerned about plastic and rubber products and how they may affect your child, then you are in the right place.
So, why would you choose wooden teething rings over other teething rings?
Wooden teething rings are free of chemicals and non-toxic.
Like most parents, we know that you wouldn’t want your baby ingesting toxic materials that would pose health risks now or later on in the future. This is where wooden teething rings stand out compared to other materials.
Wooden teething rings are non-toxic, lead-free, and free of other dangerous chemicals such as BPA, heavy metals, and phthalates. These toxic chemicals can cause your child to have an allergic reaction and even pose more danger to their health. Ensuring your child’s safety is your priority, which is why we recommend wooden teething rings as the best material for your child’s teething rings.
Durability
Wooden teething rings are quite durable compared to other materials. Your child’s wooden teething ring is far more likely to outlast other wooden teething rings made out of materials such as silicon or plastic.
As your child’s teeth start to develop and begin to break through the gums, they’ll begin to bite into their teething rings. If these teething rings are made from materials like plastic or silicon, then the chances are that the materials will start to deteriorate. Wooden teething rings are made from hardwood, a material that’s harder than silicon and plastic. Gnawing on this material will help strengthen your child’s teeth and roots. Plus, wood is a natural antibacterial! How cool is that!
Wood as a natural antibacterial
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin found out that 99.9 % of bacteria placed on wooden boards begun to die within minutes. From these studies, we can deduce that wooden teething rings are better for your child’s health than wooden teething rings made from other materials.
As a parent, I’m pretty sure that you are constantly worried about your child’s health. More importantly, what your child puts in their mouth. That said, choosing the wrong teething ring material could affect your child’s health.
Since wooden teething materials are natural antibiotics, your child’s chances of getting a bacterial infection are significantly reduced compared to other materials like plastic or silicon. Plastic and silicon materials don’t have antibacterial properties, and although you can clean the teething rings, the chances of your child getting a bacterial infection are pretty high.
Wooden teething rings are highly sustainable and great for the environment.
Most modern wooden teething rings are made from beach wood, which is entirely sustainable. Beechwood is a hardwood; making is the best choice for making wooden teething rings grown in natural, renewable, managed forests.
Buying teething rings made from wood is excellent for the environment since the products are biodegradable, making them less toxic to the environment. The fact that forests grown to make these kinds of products are renewable and managed to reduce deforestation is another good reason why most parents should opt for wooden teething rings.
Are there any downsides to wooden teething rings?
As with any products, there may be some downsides to using wooden teething rings. However, these cons are reduced to how well the product was manufactured and what steps parents need to follow to take good care of the product. They are not permanent cons per se since they can be mitigated.
However, it would not be fair to list all the positive aspects of wooden teething rings without mentioning some possible cons. So, what are some of the negatives you would encounter when using wooden teething rings?
Splinters
Wooden teething rings are more susceptible to splinters, especially if they are made from softwood. However, if you buy your baby’s teething rings from a trusted and verified vendor, then you have nothing to worry about.
Most wooden teething rings are made from maple hardwood and finished with beeswax and olive oil. Other hardwoods used to make wooden teething rings include myrtle, cherry wood, alder, walnut, etc.
Besides treated hardwood, you also have the option of choosing all-natural, hardwood teething rings that haven’t been treated. Some people consider them safer than those treated with wax and oils, but it means that you’ll have to accept the risk that the wooden teething rings may develop cracks and splinters.
Treating the hardwood with these compounds provides a water-resistant layer (we’ll discuss this can protect the wooden teething ring in the next section) that strengthens the wood preventing the teething ring from developing cracks or splinters.
Products with this feature rank highly on most, if not all, parenting sites. They are pretty safe and are highly recommended. However, I’m sure that one essential question has crossed your mind: Are wooden teething rings affected by mold?
Mold
You are right to be concerned about mold and how it can affect your child’s wooden teething rings. Treating wooden teething rings with bee wax and olive oil makes them less likely to be affected by mold. Add this to the fact that hardwood and bee wax is a natural antiseptic, and you have nothing to worry about.
However, there are some precautions that you’ll need to take to ensure that your baby’s wooden teething rings are safe. It would be best if you didn’t submerge them in water when cleaning them. Instead, you could wipe them with a clean damp cloth that has been dipped in a mixture of water and vinegar.
It would be best if you also let the teething rings dry entirely before you give them back to your child.
Check out this article on how to remove mold from wooden toys!
How do wooden teething rings compare to teething rings made from other materials?
Even though wooden teething rings have their shortcomings, they are few and quite manageable compared to teething rings made from other materials like plastic or silicon.
Plastic teething rings often contain loose plastics that your toddler may ingest. They are also more likely to have Benzocaine (a topical pain reliever), Bisphenol-A (an industrial chemical used in manufacturing plastic), and other harmful substances that you wouldn’t want your baby to ingest.
These harmful chemicals can affect your baby’s endocrine system, responsible for hormonal balance and subsequently affecting your child’s growth. These chemicals can affect your child’s development and overall health. It would be way safer to get your child wooden teething rings free of such harmful chemicals. So, where does that leave us?
To answer the question: Are wooden teething rings safe?
Wooden teething rings are safe, natural, and good for your baby and the environment. They contain no chemicals, and they are less likely to affect your child’s growth. All you have to do is regularly check them for splinters and take extra care when cleaning them. Ensure that you use the proper cleaning procedures for both all-natural and treated wooden teething rings. These reasons, and more, are why most parents prefer wooden teething rings over teething rings made from other materials.
Find Wooden Teething Rings on Amazon
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Conclusion: Are wooden teething rings safe?
If your baby is currently in the teething stage, then wooden teething rings could be your best option. The rings will be effective, sustainable, good for the baby, and good for the environment.
They are also quite durable and, in my opinion, the fact that they do not contain any toxic substances is the main reason I would recommend them to all parents with teething toddlers.
Note: Before buying wooden teething ringers, it’s best to ensure that you buy your product from recognized vendors. It would also be excellent to check in with your pediatrician to check whether your baby has an allergic reaction to bee products, anaphylaxis. Why wait? Choose the safest teething rings today!
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