A lot of parents succumb to the allure of pacifiers at least once in a while to help calm their children. The topic of letting your child have their Binky is a highly debated one in the parental community. For some, they’re lifesavers, but others see them as a guaranteed path to braces in the future. Which side is really correct?
The American Academy of General Dentistry says that pacifiers have both benefits and drawbacks.
So, while a pacifier can be an awesome tool for calming and soothing most babies, and it’s much preferable to them sucking on their thumbs, dental experts warn that using them after pre-school age can hinder the development of healthy teeth. It’s even more important to note that continuous use past the age of three can cause serious dental malformation in your child’s mouth. Also, children who continue to use pacifiers after their toddler years have passed may be more likely to need braces in the future.
If you do choose to give your child a pacifier, follow the guidelines below to reduce the risk of it affecting their dental development.
Wean your baby off the pacifier by the time they are two years old, as till that point, teeth alignment and bone development issues generally correct themselves by around six months after the child stops using the pacifier.
Use the following tips to help break your baby’s pacifier habit