Which teether for your baby: neem wood, silicone and what to look for

Neurosurgeon-reviewed. Designed by Nikita Aakhade, Harvard-certified in Early Childhood Development.

Your baby is four months old. She has soaked through her second bib since morning. Her whole fist goes into her mouth, then the corner of your dupatta, then the rim of the katori, then your finger. By evening she is grumpy in a way that a feed and a burp fail to fix.

That is teething beginning, and that is the week most parents start searching for a teether.

I get asked three things every time. When does this start? Wood or silicone? And which one do I buy for a baby who has no teeth yet? One rule to carry through: a teether earns its place the moment your baby starts putting things in her mouth, which comes weeks before the first tooth arrives. Browse the full range of baby teethers as you read.

When do babies start teething?

Most babies show the first signs between 3 and 6 months: more drool than usual, hands in the mouth all day, gnawing on whatever is within reach, ear-pulling, and a few short-tempered evenings. Run a clean finger along the gum and you may feel a hard ridge under the surface.

The first tooth usually pushes through around 6 months. Some babies get there at four, some wait past their first birthday, and both are normal. The stretch then carries on in waves until about three years, because the back teeth keep coming.

Here is the part parents miss: the mouthing starts weeks before the tooth. A baby chewing her fist at 3 months has work for a teether to do already.

Teether for newborn: what a teether actually does

A teether is a toy made to be chewed. Firm pressure against a swollen gum is what settles the ache, so your baby bites down and holds. That is the first job.

The second job is the one I care about more. In the first year, your baby's mouth is her main tool for understanding the world. She reads texture, weight and temperature with her tongue long before her fingers get good at it, and a smooth wooden shape gives her real information: grain, a cool surface, a bit of weight.

The third job is her hands. A teether with a hole in it is the first thing many babies pass from one hand to the other, the way you switch a hot chai cup from left to right. That transfer shows up around 6 months: both sides of the brain starting to work as a team.

Neem teether or silicone teether: which teether to get

Both work, and plenty of homes keep one of each.

Silicone is soft and bendy. It squishes when a baby bites, it takes a boil or a steriliser without a fuss, and it is featherlight, so a weak grasp keeps hold of it longer. Babies who suck rather than bite tend to prefer it.

Wood pushes back. When a swollen gum meets a firm surface, that counter-pressure is what gives relief, and a hardwood teether holds its shape while your baby leans into it. Its weight also teaches a 6 month old how much force a thing takes to lift.

Neem is the wood I chose, for boring practical reasons. It is naturally antibacterial and antifungal, which suits an object that lives inside a baby's mouth for a year, and it is dense and fine-grained, so it stays smooth under a gum. Indian grandmothers were handing babies neem long before it reached a product page. Our pieces are solid Indian neem hardwood, hand-sanded smooth and left natural, so the surface your baby chews is the wood itself, and every batch is BIS certified.

My rule: a baby who sucks starts with silicone, a baby who bites and gets frustrated goes to wood, and a baby doing both is covered by a wooden teether plus your clean finger.

Teethers for newborns: five things to check before you buy

1. The age on the page. Read it before the photos. Our newborn neem gift box is designed from 1 month, the rainbow ribbon teether from 2 months, the neem shapes from 3 months.
2. Weight and grip. A newborn's grasp is still a reflex, so pick something light with a ring, a bar or a hole that tiny fingers can hook into. Our neem set has a wide 4.5 cm grip hole: a 3 month old hooks a finger through it and holds on.
3. Material and finish. Solid natural wood with a smooth uncoated surface, or food-grade silicone. Ours are BIS certified and free from BPA and phthalates.
4. Size. Anything going into the mouth should be wider than your baby's fist.
5. Your presence. Sit within arm's reach, and give each piece a ten-second look over before you hand it across.

Newborn teething toys: the picks I hand to parents

These come from our teether collection, in the order I would buy them.

• Interlocking Discs Neem Teether, 3 to 18 months. Start here if you want one teether. Neem discs locked together that roll and rotate in a way your baby fails to predict, so she keeps trying. Uncoated, BIS certified.
• Dove Neem Teether, 3 to 18 months. One smooth dove shape in 100% natural neem wood, chemical-free and BIS certified. The curves follow the shape of a sore gum, so a baby who wants pressure in one spot can find it.
• Neem Wood Teethers, Set of 4, 3 to 18 months. Interlocking Discs, Elephant, Dove and Hippo, hand-carved from solid neem and left natural. Each shape works a different part of the hand and mouth: the discs for two-hand play, the Elephant's grip hole for hand-to-hand transfer, the Dove's curves for sore gums, the Hippo's easy-hold body for both fists. Four rotations also buys you back ten quiet minutes.
• Rainbow Ribbon Teether, 2 months to 3 years. A natural beech wood ring with seven rainbow ribbons. Ribbons are the easiest thing for a 2 month old fist to catch, and once caught they head straight for the mouth. Hold it, or hang it on the cot or a play gym.
• Newborn Neem Gift Box, 1 to 12 months. A rolling drum rattle, an interlocking discs teether and a dove teether, all premium neem wood with a non-toxic food-grade finish, BIS certified. My pick for a baby shower or godh bharai: it waits in the box until mouthing starts, then gets used every day.
• Teething Sensory Combo Kit. The set of four neem teethers, the rainbow ribbon teether and an interlocking discs teether together, in neem and beech wood. Different weights, textures and shapes in one box, covering the whole teething stretch.

How to soothe a teething baby at home

Gum pressure with your finger. Wash your hands, press a clean fingertip flat against the sore gum, hold a few seconds, repeat. Fastest relief you can give, and it costs nothing.

A cool teether, kept out of the freezer. Wood is already cool to the touch, and ten minutes in the fridge is enough for silicone. Skip the freezer, because rock-hard material against a swollen gum adds pain instead of taking it away.

Keep the teether away from mealtimes. When food is on the table, food is the activity. Offer the teether before or after the meal, so her attention stays on chewing, tasting and self-feeding while she eats.

A high fever, loose motions or a baby refusing feeds is illness, and teething gets blamed for it far too often. Call your paediatrician instead of waiting it out.

How to clean a wooden teether

Wipe it with a clean, slightly damp cloth after each session, then stand it somewhere airy until it is completely dry. That is the whole routine.

Keep raw wood away from soaking, boiling, the steriliser and the microwave, because water soaks into the grain and lifts the smooth finish your baby is chewing. Natural neem varies in tone from pale honey to warm reddish-brown, so tone changes are the wood doing its thing. A crack or a rough patch is your signal to retire that piece.

Questions parents ask about teethers

When can a baby start using a teether?

From the first weeks, with the right piece. Our newborn neem gift box is designed from 1 month and the rainbow ribbon teether from 2 months, both light enough for a reflex grasp. The neem shapes start at 3 months, when most babies begin mouthing everything they hold.

Is a neem wood teether safe for a baby to chew?

Yes, when the wood is dense, fine-grained and left unfinished. Neem is a hardwood, food-safe raw, and naturally antibacterial and antifungal. Ours are 100% natural neem, hand-sanded smooth, BIS certified and free from BPA and phthalates.

Which teether is best for a 3 month old?

The interlocking discs neem teether or the dove neem teether. Both begin at 3 months, both are single pieces a small hand can hook into, and both give the firm counter-pressure a first sore gum wants.

Do teethers help before the first tooth appears?

Yes, and this is when they matter most. The gum swells and itches for weeks before the tooth breaks through, which is the stretch when your baby chews her fists and your fingers. A teether gives her something safe to bite instead.

How many teethers does one baby need?

One is enough to start. Two or three shapes help: a baby bored of one shape stays engaged with a different weight and edge, and you always have a clean one drying.