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The Label Says “Non-Toxic.” The Lab Disagrees.
Teething toys spend more time in a baby’s mouth than almost any other object in their first year of life. That makes material safety a different kind of question than it is for, say, a stacking cup or a play mat. And yet the regulatory gap is real: baby teethers are not subject to the same BPA restrictions that apply to baby bottles and drinking cups in the United States.
In a widely cited study published in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers tested 59 teethers — solid, gel-filled, and water-filled — and found that BPA and other chemicals even leached out of brands labeled “BPA-free” or “non-toxic.” The researchers found more than 15 to 20 toxic chemicals across all of the products tested. The levels detected were below existing regulatory limits, but as the lead researcher noted, those limits are not set specifically for babies and don’t take into account the accumulation of chemicals a baby might be exposed to over time and from multiple products.
The seven materials below are the ones parents most need to know about — what they are, why they matter, and how to spot them before they end up in your baby’s mouth.
1. Soft PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
Polyvinyl chloride, known as PVC or vinyl and identifiable by a #3 or “V” recycling symbol, is so toxic for people and the planet at every point in its lifecycle that some activists call it by another name: the “poison plastic.” Of particular concern for children’s health are vinyl toys such as teethers, rubber duckies, beach balls, and bath books.
The problem is not just the PVC itself — it’s what has to be added to it. These products are often made of a flexible vinyl that has been softened using “plasticizer” chemicals called phthalates. Phthalates can leach out of PVC products, especially when children put PVC toys like teethers in their mouths. And the risks don’t stop at chemical exposure: during the creation, recycling, and incineration of PVC plastics, a dangerous chemical known as dioxin is created — dioxins are considered some of the most toxic poisons known to humans and can harm neurological, reproductive, developmental, and hormonal systems.
When shopping, check the recycling symbol on the packaging or product. A “3” or “V” means PVC. Avoid it entirely for anything going in a baby’s mouth.
2. Phthalates
Phthalates are chemical softeners found in many plastics. They easily leach when chewed, sucked, or heated — making them especially unsafe for babies and toddlers. They tend to hide in teething rings, rubber bath toys, and soft plastic dolls — essentially any product where the plastic has been made pliable.
This class of chemicals is used to make plastics like PVC more flexible and can be found in teethers, backpacks, wood finishes, and adhesives. It has been linked to numerous health problems, including cancer, endocrine disruption, development delays, and reproductive system damage. Exposure to phthalates has been connected to asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, and autism spectrum disorders.
The regulatory picture is complicated. In 2019, the European Commission reported that 127 out of 248 toy models blocked from sale across the EU contained illegal levels of phthalates. In the US, some phthalates are restricted in children’s products under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), but enforcement depends on testing — which not every manufacturer does honestly. Look for teethers that explicitly state they are phthalate-free and can point to independent lab certification.
3. BPA and Its Replacements (BPS, BPF)
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a known endocrine disruptor, raising concerns about its presence in children’s toys. In 2012, the FDA banned BPA from baby bottles and children’s drinking cups — but teethers were not included in the ban. This meant that while many companies voluntarily claimed to remove BPA from their teethers, there was no mandate to investigate these products for BPA.
The “BPA-free” label, unfortunately, does not tell the whole story. BPA is a chemical often found in hard plastics and some coatings. While many companies now advertise “BPA-free,” replacements like BPS and BPF may be just as risky. In studies of aggregate exposure from multiple toys, bisphenol F resulted in the highest daily exposure at 2.6 µg/kg/d. The substitutes are not well-studied in the context of infant teether use, which means a “BPA-free” claim can be technically accurate while still leaving a baby exposed to chemically similar compounds.
The safest approach is to look past the BPA-free label and ask what material the teether is actually made from. Food-grade silicone, for instance, does not require bisphenol compounds in its manufacturing at all.
4. Lead and Cadmium in Paints and Coatings
Paint is where heavy metals most often find their way into teething toys — and it’s a problem that hasn’t gone away. Lead exposure in children can cause serious developmental and neurological issues. It’s banned in many places, but imported toys still occasionally contain lead-based paints or metal components.
Infants are particularly vulnerable to exposure to toxic trace elements due to their developmental stage and behaviors such as mouthing and chewing on toys. Chemical exposure to heavy metals in infants’ toys is a significant concern as it poses a threat to their health and well-being. Cadmium is the other heavy metal to watch. Sometimes toys have been painted or pigmented with cadmium salts — most often, these paints are yellow, orange, or red.
Lead and cadmium are used as stabilizers in certain plastics, paint color enhancers, or anti-corrosion agents in children’s toys. Lead exposure has been implicated in the impairment of cognitive development in children, whereas exposure to cadmium and arsenic may give rise to neurodevelopment problems and behavioral disorders.
Bright, painted teethers from unverified manufacturers are the highest-risk category here. Toys made in countries where dangerous chemicals are less well-regulated carry a higher risk of containing chemicals that are illegal in the US, Canada, or the European Union. Always look for teethers that have been independently tested against CPSIA standards, and be especially careful with any product whose color comes from surface paint rather than material that has been dyed through.
5. Gel and Liquid Fills
Gel-filled and water-filled teethers are marketed as a soothing option — the idea being that the chilled gel provides extra gum relief. The reality is more complicated.
The gel and water-filled teethers have some preservatives in them such as paraben, which can affect the endocrine system, according to a research scientist at the New York State Department of Health. While manufacturers often claim the liquid is non-toxic, the exact ingredients are rarely disclosed. Gel- or liquid-filled teethers have been found to contain harmful toxins that have various hormonal, endocrine, neurological, and immune effects in children — this happens when babies bite into the teethers, which may enable them to ingest those toxins.
Beyond the chemical question, there’s a structural one. Gel-filled teethers can burst if boiled, creating an ingestion hazard. When it comes to filled teethers, a puncture doesn’t only cause a leak — it may also lead to bacteria or mold growth inside the ring itself. This was serious enough that in 2006, the FDA cautioned the public against using certain liquid-filled teething ring models on account of possible microbial contamination. As recently as April 2026, Health Canada’s sampling and evaluation program determined that the liquid filling in certain water-filled teethers contained living microbes.
Solid, one-piece teethers sidestep this category of risk entirely.
6. Antimicrobial Additives: Triclosan and Triclocarban
Some teething toy manufacturers add antimicrobial chemicals to their products — usually marketed as a hygiene feature. Two of the most common are triclosan and triclocarban, and both have been found leaching from teethers in laboratory studies.
Teethers have been found to contain a range of parabens and the antimicrobial agents triclosan and triclocarban, which are also endocrine disruptors. There are a variety of health concerns associated with triclosan, including endocrine disruption, triclosan-resistant bacteria, environmental toxicity, and bioaccumulation — meaning it builds up in the body. Triclosan is a hormone disruptor that impacts the thyroid and is linked to increased risk of breast cancer.
The antimicrobial claim is also, at best, misleading for a teether. The FDA determined that antibacterial products containing triclosan were no more effective than regular soap and water. An antimicrobial additive in a teething toy does not make the toy cleaner — it just adds a chemical burden. Stick with teethers made from non-porous materials like food-grade silicone, which can be cleaned effectively with warm soapy water or a dishwasher without any chemical additives.
7. Benzocaine and Belladonna in Topical Teething Gels
This one sits at the edge of the “teething toy” category, but it’s worth including because many parents reach for these products at the same time they’re choosing a teether — and the risks are among the most serious on this list.
Topical medications containing benzocaine or lidocaine offer little to no benefit and are associated with serious risks when used for teething pain in children. Specifically, using benzocaine products can lead to a serious, and sometimes fatal, condition called methemoglobinemia, in which the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells is greatly reduced. The FDA estimated that more than 400 cases of benzocaine-associated methemoglobinemia have been reported to the agency or published in the medical literature since 1971.
Homeopathic teething gels and tablets carry a separate but equally serious warning. In January 2017, the FDA cautioned parents and caregivers against giving children specific homeopathic teething tablets because the drugs contained inconsistent amounts of belladonna, a toxic substance. Belladonna poisoning can cause dry mouth, enlarged pupils, blurred vision, red dry skin, fever, fast heartbeat, hallucinations, spasms, and convulsions.
The FDA’s guidance is straightforward: skip the gels entirely. A firm, food-grade silicone teether — chilled in the refrigerator (not the freezer) — is what both the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend for gum relief.
What to Look for Instead
Knowing what to avoid is half the work. The other half is knowing what a genuinely safe teether looks like.
Food-grade silicone is the material most consistently recommended by pediatricians and safety researchers. Toys made from silicone don’t break down as easily, are heat-resistant, and are more ocean-friendly than their plastic counterparts. The key qualifier is food-grade — not all silicone is equal, and the food-grade designation means the material has been tested for contact with food and saliva.
Loulou Lollipop’s teether collection is built specifically around this standard. Their teethers are made from 100% food-grade silicone and are free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, and cadmium — independently tested and certified to exceed US CPSC and CPSIA safety requirements. The color in each teether uses water-based, food-safe inks that are injected into the silicone rather than applied as a surface coating, which eliminates the paint-flaking risk entirely.
Beyond material, a few practical checks help: look for one-piece construction with no seams or hollow fills, verify that independent lab testing is documented (not just claimed on a label), and confirm the teether is sized appropriately — too small and it becomes a choking hazard, regardless of what it’s made from.
Teething is a phase every baby goes through. The toy they chew on for hours each day should be the last thing parents have to worry about.