When to wean your child off dummies – for their oral health!
We all know the miracle of the dummy or pacifier. For parents of a screaming child, there is no bliss like the silence after stopping the noise with a dummy.
But, did you know that allowing your baby to keep using a pacifier after a certain point in their development could be harmful to their teeth?
Let’s explain why, and what to do about it.
First, know that our recommendations below go for thumb-sucking too
While we’re primarily talking about dummies today, our advice on dummies and how they can impact a child’s developing teeth also apply to thumb-sucking.
If your child does not use a dummy but does suck their thumb, this article may still be highly relevant to you.
Is thumb-sucking worse than using a dummy?
When it comes to the problems that can develop, they are equivalent to each other.
When to wean a baby off their dummy – for their teeth!
There is no magic age to begin weaning your child off their dummy, or sucking their thumb. However, the longer the habit sticks around the more damage it is likely to cause – of course, this all depends on the child, their mouth, and how much they actually use their dummy.
Weaning should begin before their adult teeth erupt
At minimum, the weaning process must begin before your child’s adult teeth start to erupt. That’s around the age of six years old, so plenty of time there.
But earlier is likely going to be better. That’s because if the habit lingers too long and causes any problems, you will have more time to correct it before it affects your child’s permanent teeth – which will be much harder to fix.
Learn more: “What to do when your baby gets teeth: A complete guide”
Consider weaning from 12-24 months
According to one report, the children who see the most damage from sucking a pacifier (or thumb) tend to be those who keep it going beyond 48 months (4 years old).
Those who cease the habit earlier, right down to 12 to 24 months, have much lower likelihood of developing malocclusions, aka crooked teeth. Some call the misalignment of teeth due to a dummy ‘pacifier mouth’.
So the short answer is: Wean the habit from 12-24 months onwards, and don’t let it linger beyond four years old.
A dummy’s impact on teeth
How a dummy can damage teeth
1. Pacifier mouth
Pacifier mouth can take a few forms, but a common one is what’s called an ‘open bite’. This is where the upper teeth and lower teeth no longer meet at the front.
It may also cause different misalignments, such as protruding front teeth or a crossbite.
2. Jaw development problems
Incorrectly developed teeth can lead to further jaw problems. For instance, a child with a crossbite may find their jaw shifts to one side, creating a lopsided mouth as they get older.
3. Speech problems
Humans need their teeth in order to speak properly, children more so. The correct development of teeth can aid in their ability to learn language and talk correctly. Changes to the mouth due to extended dummy use could change the way they talk, from minor problems such as a lisp to more major problems where they have difficulty making certain sounds.
4. Tooth decay
While there is currently no direct correlation at the moment between dummy use and tooth decay, dummy use can contribute to decay when the dummy is coated in sugar or syrup.
We know it’s quite common advice to coat a dummy in sugar in order to make it more appealing, but sugar feeds the bacteria in a child’s developing mouth and can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease. If it’s on a dummy, it could be sitting in your child’s mouth for a long time - overnight, for example. This gives the bacteria plenty of time to feed and grow.
5. Mouth breathing
Children who use a pacifier for an extended period of time have been known to breathe more through their mouth than nose. This is another gum disease risk, because prolonged mouth breathing can dry out the saliva in the mouth which our bodies use to clean itself and fight bacteria.
6. Ear infection
Studies show that the use of pacifiers may lead to increased risk of otitis media, or ear infections. The report we linked earlier notes that in at least one study, rates of ear infection were as much as 29% lower in children who did not use dummies compared to children who did.
What do pacifier teeth look like?
Depending on how a child’s dummy use affects their teeth, pacifier teeth will look a little different.
If your child develops an open bite, their top and bottom front teeth will sit apart – almost like they haven’t closed their mouth. But, all of their molars and maybe even canines will be sitting together, it’s just that the front incisors have moved away from each other.
For a crossbite, your child’s front and back teeth will sort of zig-zag across each other (depending on which teeth become crooked). In some places the top teeth will be in front of the bottom, and in other places it’ll be the opposite.
Protruding front teeth can stick out quite far, leading to a lot of discomfort. In some cases protruding teeth can jut forward as much as 45°.
Can pacifier teeth be corrected?
In some cases, yes. But it depends on the child, the state of their teeth, and for how long they continued the habit of sucking on a dummy.
There’s a little debate as to how effective the body is at correcting its own milk teeth misalignments when the adult teeth come in, but it’s generally considered that the younger a child stops the habit, the more likely it is that the problem will fix itself. That is, weaning on or before the 24-month mark.
If your child continues to suck on a dummy regularly beyond that point, it seems to become less and less likely that the problem would be able to fix itself.
How to treat pacifier teeth
If treatment is required, your child may need a trip to the orthodontist’s chair. An orthodontist is a dentist specially qualified in problems like misaligned teeth, and will be able to diagnose the problem and suggest a viable treatment.
Perhaps they will say no treatment is necessary, and in other cases early interceptive orthodontics may be required. This is, essentially, braces for children, where a fixed or removable device is inserted into their mouth to apply gentle pressure on the teeth to pull them into the right position.
Learn more:
— Orthodontics at Kowhai Dental
— “My baby’s teeth are coming in crooked: What should I do?”
— Worried about how to afford braces? Read this
Quick weaning tips for getting your child out of their dummy habit
Start early: From the time they turn 12 months, you can begin the weaning process (it doesn’t have to be fast or vigorous!). But the longer you leave it, the more attached to the habit they may become.
Don’t stop suddenly: This may cause stress for your child and could lead them to pick up thumb-sucking instead.
Limit the amount you give them their dummy: The key to weaning is to start small and grow from there. Start to limit the amount they use the dummy, for example getting to a point where they only have it at night time.
Use praise: Whenever your child doesn’t use their dummy at a time where they otherwise would have, make sure to praise them!
Be patient and kind: It may take quite a few attempts to wean your child off their dummy, so you’ll need lots of patience, kindness and praise to get through it.
Need a dentist’s opinion? We can help
Here at Kowhai Dental in Whangarei, we’re your local experts when it comes to children’s oral health.
If you need any help at all, be it checking your child’s teeth for developmental problems or someone to talk to about when to wean and how, give us a call on 09 430 0707 or book an appointment online.
Read next: “Oral health in a teething baby: Everything you need to know”