All about teethers - my go to guide as an oral motor PT
- Dr. Rachael Carreon PT, DPT, CBS
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
One thing I wish more parents knew is that teether play is about so much more than “keeping baby busy” or helping sore gums during teething. It’s actually an amazing way to support your baby’s oral motor development in a simple, playful, and developmentally appropriate way.
As a pediatric PT who works closely with babies with feeding difficulties, oral ties, body tension, and oral motor challenges, I use teether play all the time as part of supporting feeding and development. And honestly? Most parents are already doing pieces of this naturally without realizing how beneficial it can be.
If your baby is constantly bringing toys to their mouth, chewing on their hands, or wanting to mouth everything in sight… that’s developmentally normal and incredibly important.
What Is Oral Motor Development?
Oral motor development refers to how the muscles of the mouth, lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw work together for things like:
Feeding
Sucking
Swallowing
Managing textures
Speech development later on
These skills start developing long before your baby says their first word or eats a full meal at the table.
In infancy, oral motor development plays a huge role in:
Breastfeeding and bottle feeding
Transitioning to solids
Learning to chew safely
Coordinating tongue movements
Building strength and stability in the jaw and mouth
And one of the easiest ways to support these skills? Play.
How Teethers Support Oral Motor Development
1. Teethers Help Strengthen the Jaw & Tongue
When babies bite down on a teether, they’re strengthening the muscles of the jaw and learning how to grade pressure. They also tend to move their tongue around to explore the teether.
This becomes especially important as they get ready for solids and eventually need to chew different textures safely and efficiently.
2. Teether Play Encourages Tongue Movement
A really important oral motor skill is tongue lateralization and elevation, which simply means being able to move the tongue side to side and lift it upward.
This matters because babies need those tongue movements to:
Move food around their mouth
Clear food from their cheeks
Manage liquids safely
Chew effectively
Certain teethers naturally encourage babies to explore different areas of their mouth, which helps build coordination and awareness.
This is one reason I love offering a variety of shapes and textures instead of only using one type of teether.
3. Teethers Provide Important Sensory Input
Babies learn about the world through their mouths early on. different textures, temperatures, and pressures help babies develop oral awareness and sensory processing. That sensory feedback helps them better understand:
Where their mouth is in space
How much pressure to use while chewing
How different textures feel
This is also why some babies strongly prefer certain teethers over others.
Some babies seek more sensory input, while others can feel overwhelmed by certain textures or sensations.
4. Teether Play Supports Hand-to-Mouth Coordination
Bringing a teether to the mouth may seem simple, but it’s actually a big developmental skill.
Your baby is practicing:
Grasping
Midline play
Coordination
Motor planning
Hand-to-mouth control
These same skills later help with self-feeding, utensil use, and overall fine motor development.
What Types of Teethers Are Best?
You definitely do not need every trendy teether on the market. But having a few different styles can be really helpful.
Textured Teethers
Teethers with bumps, ridges, or varied surfaces can encourage exploration and provide additional sensory input.
Silicone teethers are often great for this because they’re easy to clean and come in lots of different textures.
Teethers That Reach Different Areas of the Mouth
Some teethers are designed with longer arms or shapes that allow babies to explore the sides of the mouth more easily. Try some of my favorites from Amazon!
Multi-Sensory Teethers
These can help encourage tongue movement and oral coordination.
Some babies love teethers that include different textures, movement, or even gentle sounds.
These can be especially engaging for babies who crave additional sensory input.
When should you offer a teether?
Most babies start becoming very interested in mouthing and oral exploration around 3–4 months. You may also notice more drooling and bringing EVERYTHING to their mouth.
This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re teething yet.
Mouthing is a completely normal developmental phase and an important part of learning.
A few tips:
Always supervise teether play
Rotate different textures and shapes
Allow lots of opportunities for exploration during awake playtime
And remember: babies often need repetition before they fully explore a new teether. If they ignore one at first, that’s okay.
The bottom line? A teether is about so much more than soothing sore gums. It can be a simple tool to support your baby’s oral motor development, feeding foundations, and sensory exploration through play.
If you’re wondering where to start, I’ve linked a few of my favorite teethers below that I love for encouraging safe and developmentally supportive oral play.
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