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The Short Answer Pediatricians Give Every Time
Amber teething necklaces photograph well. They show up constantly in parenting groups, on gift registries, and in influencer flat-lays. But the moment you ask a pediatrician or a pediatric dentist whether they are safe, the answer is consistent: no.
Children should not use teething jewelry, which can lead to choking or strangulation, according to a warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That warning was issued after the FDA received reports of death and serious injuries to infants and children, including strangulation and choking, caused by teething jewelry, such as amber teething necklaces. One of those reports involved a fatal outcome: an 18-month-old child was strangled to death by his amber teething necklace during a nap.
Leading health authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Health Canada, strongly discourage the use of teething necklaces — especially amber ones. Pediatric dentists also echo this stance. This is not a fringe position. It is the consensus across every major pediatric and consumer safety body in the United States and Canada.
Two Separate Risks That Often Get Conflated
Parents researching teething necklaces tend to focus on one danger at a time — usually choking. But there are actually two distinct hazards at play, and they operate through different mechanisms.
Strangulation is the first. Strangulation risk occurs when a necklace gets caught on an object like a crib rail, car seat strap, or a parent’s clothing, cutting off the baby’s airflow. Babies lack the coordination to free themselves in such situations, which can quickly become fatal. A necklace does not need to be long or loose to create this risk — any cord around a small child’s neck can snag on everyday objects in seconds.
The second hazard is choking. Choking hazard arises if the necklace breaks and a bead becomes loose. A curious baby might put the bead in their mouth, nose, or airway, leading to serious injury or death. Even beads that are not intended to be chewed will eventually end up in a baby’s mouth — that is simply how infants explore the world.
Some manufacturers argue their clasps are designed to break under pressure, offering protection against strangulation. But published research has tested that claim directly. Seven of fifteen necklaces did not open with 15 lbs of force. Eight of 10 necklaces tested did not open with 1.6 lbs of force. To put that second number in context: eighty per cent of the sample failed to open with 1.6 pounds of force, which was the mean force to occlude a young child’s airway in a published study. The breakaway safety feature, in other words, often does not work.
And the regulatory gap makes this worse. In the United States, manufacturers are only encouraged — not required — to comply with a product safety standard outlining anti-strangulation measures. Parents may reasonably assume that products available for sale have been tested. In the case of teething necklaces, that assumption does not hold.
What About the Succinic Acid Claim?
The appeal of amber teething necklaces rests almost entirely on one idea: that body heat causes the amber to release succinic acid, which then absorbs through the skin and reduces inflammation. The FDA noted that amber teething necklaces contain a substance called succinic acid, which allegedly may be released into an infant’s bloodstream in unknown quantities. Manufacturers often claim succinic acid acts as an anti-inflammatory and relieves teething and joint pain. The FDA has not evaluated these claims for safety or effectiveness and recommends parents not use these products.
A PubMed search reveals no scientific evidence to demonstrate that such use is effective as an analgesic. There is a lack of evidence supporting the idea that amber’s succinic acid has any beneficial effect on oral health. Marketers sometimes promote succinic acid for its anti-inflammatory properties, but dental specialists emphasize that no reliable studies show it helps relieve teething pain.
So the product carries documented, serious physical risks and offers no proven benefit in return. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), there is no clinical justification for using teething necklaces and a clear consensus that the risks far outweigh any unproven benefits.
Wooden and silicone teething necklaces — as opposed to handheld teethers — fall into a similar category. They are designed to be chewed while worn, which means the bead-breakage and strangulation risks still apply. These necklaces and bracelets are not made of the traditional and more durable hard plastic or rubber found in teething rings, and have been increasingly found to be a choking hazard, a strangulation hazard, or a source of injury and infection to the mouth and gums — even when used according to manufacturer’s suggested uses.
What Actually Works Instead
The good news is that the alternatives are not complicated, and several of them work better than a necklace ever could — because they put counterpressure directly where the discomfort is.
The AAP recommends parents and caregivers soothe teething children by massaging their gums or giving them hard rubber teething rings that are not frozen. A chilled (not frozen solid) washcloth tied in a knot at one end is another option that pediatric hospitals frequently suggest — the texture and temperature together tend to distract and soothe.
Handheld silicone teethers are the category that most pediatric dentists point to when recommending a product-based solution. Silicone chewing toys are generally considered the safest for babies, as they don’t contain any harmful chemicals like BPA, PVC, or phthalates. Parents should always choose teethers made from food-grade silicone. The key distinction from a teething necklace is that a handheld teether is used under supervision, held by the baby’s own hands, and does not sit around the neck.
Food-grade silicone is the safest material for teething rings because it doesn’t contain toxic substances. This material is also soft and durable, and doesn’t succumb to extensive chewing pressure. That durability matters: a teether that holds together under vigorous chewing does not shed small pieces that could become a choking hazard.
Loulou Lollipop’s silicone teether collection is built around exactly this standard — each teether is made from 100% food-grade silicone, free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, and cadmium, and tested to exceed US CPSC and CPSIA safety requirements. The multi-textured surfaces are designed to massage sore gum tissue from different angles, giving babies the tactile input they are looking for without any of the wearable hazards. For parents who want a teether that stays accessible without going on the floor, the Silicone Clip Teether Sets attach to clothing with a clip — keeping the teether within reach while the baby is held or in a carrier.
Gum massage with a clean finger remains one of the most effective options of all, costs nothing, and carries no product risk. When discomfort is significant, a pediatrician can advise on age-appropriate doses of infant acetaminophen. These are the approaches that safety organizations actually endorse — not because they are the most photogenic, but because they work and they do not put a cord around a baby’s neck.
The Supervision Caveat Does Not Fix the Problem
A common response to teething necklace warnings is: “I only use it when I’m watching.” That is a reasonable instinct, but it does not address the full risk picture.
Amber teething necklaces are not a safe option for baby for two main reasons: the beads are a choking hazard, and the chances of a baby chewing off a bead and choking on it are pretty high — and supervision will not help. A parent watching their baby can still miss the moment a bead breaks free, especially during active play or when attention is split. And strangulation from a snagged necklace can happen in seconds.
The AAP does not recommend that infants wear any jewelry. Suffocation is the leading cause of death for children under a year old and among the top five causes of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4. The numbers behind that statement are why pediatric safety guidance on this topic has not changed, even as teething necklaces have remained popular.
Parents who want a natural, low-intervention approach to teething discomfort have good options that do not involve wearable jewelry. Chilled teethers, gum massage, and cold damp cloths address the same underlying need — counterpressure and distraction — without placing a ligature around a baby’s neck. The shift from necklace to handheld teether is a small one, and it is the one that every major pediatric and consumer safety authority in the US recommends.