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Chewing practice and sensory mapping through mouthing help prepare your baby for solid foods. As babies explore objects with their mouths, they take in different textures, shapes, and sizes, which helps organize their oral sensory system and gradually shifts the gag reflex from the front of the tongue toward the back, right where it needs to be before starting solids.
A good time to introduce mouthing and teething toys is around 3 months old, when babies start bringing their hands to their mouths to explore rather than just out of hunger. Giving your baby a safe, appropriate toy to bite, chew, and mouth supports sucking and self-soothing, builds jaw, cheek, and tongue strength, and helps facial and dental development.
I recommend supervised play, using teething toys with some thinner, longer parts that can reach different areas of your baby’s mouth, not just the front. Teether Tubes are a favorite among feeding therapists and occupational therapists for exactly this reason: their long, narrow shape reaches the molar gum ridge and lets your baby’s jaw and tongue work in areas a flat or bulky teether can’t reach.