Yes! You’ve already been giving your children alcohol in the fruits they eat – you just didn’t know it. A trace amount of alcohol can help sooth sore gums for teething infants, so don’t be fooled into buying an over-the-counter product that merely replaces Jim Beam with their own hooch. Anbesol has 70% alcohol, which leaves the other 30% for chemists to decide what you’re putting into your child’s blood stream. Furthermore, the FDA recently came out with a safety announcement concerning benzocaine gels, which include different brand names such as Anbesol, Hurricaine, Orajel, Baby Orajel and Orabase:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public that the use of benzocaine, the main ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) gels and liquids applied to the gums or mouth to reduce pain, is associated with a rare, but serious condition. This condition is called methemoglobinemia and results in the amount of oxygen carried through the blood stream being greatly reduced. In the most severe cases, methemoglobinemia can result in death.

But don’t expect a doctor to condone the practice – too many parents might get the wrong idea that if a drop works then a shot will work better. As with all things old school, keep your head about you when working grandma’s remedies.