questionswould you allow your baby to teethe on wood…


I don't have a baby, so I can't offer what I would do.

I did have a friend who told me he met someone who let his baby teethe on beef jerky. And, while I can understand that, it still kind of scares me.

All I can think of with a baby teething on wood is splinters! If it doesn't splinter, why not? They chew on everything anyway! I know more than one kid that has chewed on wood blocks.


@baybei: Since I know I added this part right as you replied, they put this disclaimer farther down in the description " Please don’t give small toys to children who are still placing objects in their mouths. Paint may run if toys get wet or drooled on."

All I can imagine is either splinters, or a piece coming off after having been chewed on for a while. I also wonder about the germs getting into the wood. :-/


I'm still wondering why it's called a "teether" when it advises against giving small toys to children who may put things in their mouth.


@jsimsace: I know, I'm SO confused. I wonder if Etsy pays attention to these sorts of things. I mean, there is no other use for a teether other than to put it in your mouth... >_<


@jsimsace: They may be referring to the smaller sized wood toys they sell? I noticed they had some itsy bitsy toys listed.

Germs is a valid point, I failed to think of that! I guess it depends on the wood, isn't stuff like bamboo naturally germ resistant? I really wouldn't know for sure though!

I certainly wouldn't buy this for any of my friends babies though, I prefer the traditional teethers.


Maybe I'm just old, but you do know that plastic didn't always exist right? Way back when they use to not worry about kids eating mud pies, and chewing on whatever was around. They didn't worry about BPA and other chemicals leaching into their kids immune systems. It was "it will make them stronger".

And now you know part of why it's a good thing I'm not a parent.


Back in the 1930's my mother had a sister who chewed a splinter of wood off of her homemade playpen (they lived on a farm out in the country). She must have been about 18 months old, I assume, when she died because the splinter perforated her stomach or intestines. My grandmother was still grieving the loss of her child when she passed away 40 years later. I definitely would not allow a child to teeth on wood.


Babies will teethe on anything they can get into their slobbery little mouths including the family dog and cat, remote control, telephone, and metal bar stools. I can totally understand the bar stool--cool and firm and soothing to sore gums. What ever happened to silver teething rings/rattles and zwieback crackers?


That particular teether sounds really sketchy, but I know that several Etsy sellers offer wooden ones. Little Sapling Toys is quite popular, for one, with thousands of sales. The reputable sellers are using wood varieties that don't splinter, and they sand the heck out of them. They also don't coat them in anything toxic. There are many commercially available wood teethers as well, such as one made by Waldorf.

Etsy operates as a seller facilitator rather than a seller so, like Ebay, it's largely buyer beware. They do, however, remove items they deem to be dangerous or illegal. I'd report the item and move on.


Actually, I'm going to change my answer a little bit. I went and looked up the item you're talking about. The paint/choking warning, while not as clear as it could be, is almost certainly referencing their toys, not their teethers. The teethers are not painted and they are large enough for baby's mouth. They are sealed (to increase safety) with beeswax. .


When I was young, oh so long ago, we used to string empty spools (from thread) on a shoelace, or piece of twine, and considered it a baby toy. We also handed the little ones a wooden spoon, and a couple of metal pans from the cupboard, to bang on. Not all wood will splinter, or is easily chewed up.

@lavikinga, you made me smile with the comment about zwieback crackers. I have a recipe for them somewhere. Nothing like being handed a nice, gummy cracker, from someone who loves you, and just wants to share.

Nowadays they put thread on styrofoam looking things, and the empty wooden spools are sold in antique stores. I still have a lot of thread on those old spools. I'll be sad when it's used up.

I went to see what the fuss was about, and although I'm sure the wood's safe, I wouldn't recommend this toy for a baby because of the corners, and because I could see a little hand getting stuck in the middle.

Just get some nice crackers instead.


I can remember my wooden blocks from childhood had teethmarks all over them. I can only assume they were my teethmarks. Wood is fine to chew on depending on species of tree. Some splinter quite easily and some will not.


Thought my little sister was part beaver. She rounded off the legs of the piano bench when she was teething. We lived for a while with everything up off the floor. If it was in her reach it was gnawed!


One of my boys continued teething* until about 3 or 4. I finally got him some rawhide chews after I found him with his head nearly stuck in the banister gnawing on a baluster. He didn't like the beef flavored ones, but the plain were OK.

*Chewing up things just to see if he could - books, clothes, sticks from the yard, etc.


I work for a company that sells beads and jewelry-making supplies and we've noticed a trend lately in making teething rings out of beads, especially out of amber or wooden round beads.

We get customers asking for recommendations on what type of beads to use and we say NO WAY NO HOW DO NOT USE BEADS! Seriously, super choking hazard if the beads come loose.

Despite this, there are still plenty of people who sell and buy them. To cover their asses, a lot of sellers will put silly things like "For decorative purposes only! Not for chewing" despite the fact that the item title says "Teether" or "Teething Ring"