Ask any parent of a baby and most will say the same thing. Teething. It is one of the most misunderstood parts of early parenthood. That is why I made this for exhausted parents. So you actually understand what you are fixing and how to fix it.
In eleven years of working with new parents, I have sat across from thousands of exhausted families. Parents feel guilty reaching for Calpol or Tylenol night after night. And the truth is, those medicines were never actually made for teething. They target the wrong area entirely. Teething pain is not in the mouth. It is in the jaw, the cheeks and the ears. Every single thing parents reach for goes in the mouth.
Parents are not failing. They have just never been told where the pain is actually coming from. And the thing I hear more than anything else in my clinic, usually around the fourth or sixth week of broken nights, is this:
"We have tried everything. Nothing works."
I believe them. Because most of the time, they have. What they have not been told is why.
The stories that break my heart
On parenting forums, the testimonies all sound the same. And they are heartbreaking. I could have written every single one from a parent I have sat with in my clinic.
Parents doing everything they have been told. Still up at 3AM. Still out of options. And still quietly blaming themselves for not getting it right.
It is near enough impossible to soothe teething pain without the right remedy
Teething is an annoying but simple issue to solve. People just do not understand it. And that is not their fault. Nobody explains it properly.
Calpol and Tylenol are medicines. They were not made for teething. They have dosage limits, they take forty minutes to work, and you cannot give them all night every night. Teething gels are rubbed onto the gum and washed away in the drool within minutes. Powders are spat straight back out before they can do anything. None of them were made for teething. They were repurposed for it. And that is the whole problem.
Teething pain does not stay in the mouth. It travels. And that is the part most parents never hear about.
Here is what is actually happening. When a new tooth pushes through the gum, it presses on nerves that run all the way up through the jaw, into the cheeks and right up to the ears. The pain does not stay where the tooth is. It spreads. That is why babies pull at their ears. That is why they rub their cheeks. That is why they shake their heads from side to side at night.
The tooth is in the gum but the pain is in the face. And everything parents reach for goes in the mouth. That is the mismatch nobody talks about.
What actually makes sense, right?
This is the part where I wish I could see your face while reading this. This is the eureka moment I get when I speak to parents. Every single time. They already knew the answer. It almost seemed so simple that they were shocked when I told them.
If the pain is in the jaw and the cheek nerves, what your child actually needs is something that targets the areas where the relief is needed. Not in the mouth. On the outside. Directly onto the skin where the nerve is.
A smooth, seamless and convenient topical application to the cheek, the jawline and just behind the ears. The areas where teething pain actually shows up. The places your baby has been pointing to for weeks by grabbing at their face.
CheekyGums Teething Roller
Natural relief applied to the cheek and jawline. Nothing goes in the mouth. Works where the nerve actually is.
Learn more →So what is the right remedy?
I would recommend a teething roller. A small roller bottle containing natural lab tested ingredients that target the areas where the pain actually is. Applied to the outside of the cheeks, the jawline and just behind the ears. Ten seconds. Nothing goes in the mouth. No syringe fight. No dosage limit.
The one I usually recommend is the CheekyGums Teething Roller by LittleTiva's. You can find it at littletivas.com.
Here is what makes it work:
- ● The roller ball. Keep it in the fridge. The cool metal ball provides immediate sensory relief the moment it touches the cheek. Cold directly on the jaw, where the nerve is. Before the ingredients have even started working. That alone is often enough to break the cycle and help your baby take a breath.
- ● Peppermint. A gentle cooling sensation on the skin. Soothes the cheek and jawline area where teething pressure builds.
- ● Lavender. Promotes calm and relaxation. Helps babies settle at bedtime and supports a more peaceful night for you and your baby.
- ● Coconut oil. Deeply moisturising and gentle on sensitive baby skin. Helps carry the botanical ingredients into the skin where they are needed.
- ● Vitamin E. A natural antioxidant. Nourishes delicate baby skin and keeps the formula stable and fresh.
FDA registered and approved. Every baby is different and I always say try it and see. But this is my recommendation and it is the one I keep coming back to. The full ingredient list is on the LittleTiva's website.
- ✓ Nothing goes in the mouth. Ever.
- ✓ Works in minutes. Not 40.
- ✓ Keep it in the fridge for instant cold relief.
- ✓ No prep. No fight. No mess.
- ✓ Take it anywhere. Works on the go.
- ✓ FDA registered. Full ingredient transparency.
- ✓ They also offer a 30 day money back guarantee. So if it does not work for your baby, which I hope and I am sure it will, you can just send it back.
One roller is £27.99. But at the minute I am pretty sure they have a bundle deal where you can get two rollers for £47.99, a free frozen fruit teething feeder and free UK delivery. I would check that out if I were you. I know they sometimes sell out, so if the bundle is still available when you get there, I would grab it while you can.
I know what some of you are thinking. Is it just herbal? Does it actually do anything? The FDA registration answers that. These are lab tested, approved ingredients. Not placebo. Not water. And the cold roller ball alone, straight from the fridge, gives immediate relief before the ingredients have even started working. Make it part of the bedtime routine. Roll, a gentle massage, carry on. Most parents find their baby starts to recognise it within a few nights. Before you accept that this is just what teething is, before you reach for the Calpol again tonight, try the one thing that actually targets the right place.
From the LittleTiva's DMs
CheekyGums Teething Roller
Natural teething relief applied to the cheek and jawline. Works where the nerve actually is. Nothing goes in the mouth.
- Nothing enters the mouth, ever
- Natural lab tested ingredients
- Safe from 3 months
- Works within 20 to 30 seconds
- UK dispatched within 24 hours
🔒 30 day money back guarantee · Free UK delivery
This article reflects the personal clinical experience of the contributor and is not a substitute for medical advice. Teething products soothe discomfort and are not treatments for infection. If your baby has a persistent fever, is not settling, or something feels wrong, always consult your GP or health visitor.
Baby Trouble UK Real stories from real parents. Some content on this site is sponsored or contains affiliate links. Sponsored content is clearly labelled.