Will a pacifier affect my baby’s teeth and mouth development?

Do pacifiers affect teeth and mouth development? This is an often asked question. Let’s see what the pediatrician has to say about whether pacifiers are good for babies.

About the harm of pacifier to baby’s teeth

Experts believe that this statement is not comprehensive. Whether the pacifier causes damage to the child’s teeth should be judged according to the frequency, degree and length of time of use. If your child uses a pacifier occasionally until the age of one, it will not affect the development of his teeth. But if your child is a pacifier addict who keeps it in his mouth, watch out for his teeth: teething may be later than normal, or teeth may be out of alignment, and There are two overlapping teeth. So try to keep your child from using a pacifier after one year old.

For some mothers, the baby often uses a pacifier and will not eat the nipple

Actually, don’t worry about that at all. The truth is that your baby is much smarter than you think, and he knows the difference between mom’s nipples and plastic. When the baby needs mother’s care and comfort, he will firmly choose the mother instead of the pacifier.

Questions about your baby’s addiction to pacifiers

Moms don’t have to worry too much. Most children voluntarily quit using a pacifier by the time they are 6 to 9 months old. This is because at this time the baby begins to learn skills such as sitting and crawling, and their interest is focused on the joy of reaching out and grabbing something, and these growing skills and control have made them feel very satisfied. So pacifiers are less important to them.

   Studies have shown that pacifiers do more harm than good for babies and moms. Babies, especially newborns, need the help of a pacifier. Whenever they feel tired, irritable, or trying to adjust to situations that are new and unfamiliar to him, they need a lot of special comfort and care, and a pacifier is a good choice.

   The biggest role of the pacifier is to prevent the baby from crying. As long as the baby cries, the pacifier will stop crying obediently as soon as the pacifier is contained. This shows that the pacifier has the effect of calming the baby's emotions. To a certain extent, the pacifier can bring a mother-like feeling of safety to the baby. In addition, the baby can use the mouth to suck the pacifier. Immediately stop crying and be quiet.

   Some mothers say that when the baby is put on a pacifier before going to bed, the baby will fall asleep contentedly. That is to say, the pacifier also has the function of making the baby sleep peacefully.

Sucking is an innate reflex of infants and young children, and it occurs at birth, but eating hands and sucking pacifiers is a manifestation of self-soothing in infants and young children, and it is difficult to stop and quit easily. For this reason, pacifier sucking should be encouraged for infants who frequently eat their hands. And the outer disc of the pacifier can effectively antagonize the abnormal teeth and mouth shape that may be caused by frequent sucking.