Teething

Around six months is typical, but we've seen the whole range in our Bozeman shop, including babies who cut a tooth in the 0-6 month window and others who stayed gummy right up to their first birthday. The drool usually gives it away before the tooth does. If nothing has come in by 18 months, bring it up with a pediatric dentist, mostly for peace of mind.

Food-grade silicone, natural rubber, and plain untreated wood are the three we trust. They hold up to months of hard chewing, and none of them need BPA, PVC, or phthalates to keep their shape. If a teether doesn't meet that bar, we don't carry it.

The safest teethers are molded as one solid piece, with nothing glued on that could work loose and no seams or sharp edges for a new tooth to catch. Size matters too. Anything small enough to fit entirely in the mouth doesn't belong in a baby's hands. Tikiri's rubber animals and the Oli & Carol fruits and veggies are built this way, which is a big part of why we stock so many of them.

Go light and soft. A newborn's grip gives out fast, so a heavy teether spends more time on the floor than in the mouth. The Mushie silicone rings and smaller Tikiri animals are easy for brand-new hands to hang onto, and a cooling ring teether earns its keep a few months later when the real teething pain starts.