Do you ever wonder whether you should give your child a pacifier when they cry? While you may have heard that giving your child a pacifier can be dangerous or harmless, would you be surprised to learn that both can be true? You see, while your child is younger, there isn’t anything wrong with your child sucking a pacifier—but as they age, they could be damaging their teeth.
Luckily, your child will typically give up on their pacifier on their own when their between two and four years old. However, if your child hasn’t given up on their pacifier by the time they’re four, you may have to take the pacifiers away yourself. You could simply throw the pacifiers away—though you should be sure you toss them all. You see, children have been known to actually hide pacifiers from their parents.
You see, if your child keeps their pacifier or too long, their front teeth could slant out or their bottom teeth could slant inwards. Similarly, your child’s upper and lower jaws could become misaligned, and the roof of their mouth may even become narrower from side to side. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help your child stop using a pacifier—though most parents agree that cold turkey is the best way. Simply try to limit your child’s pacifier use to nap and bedtime.
Would you like to learn more about pacifier use, or about other options you may consider? Are you interested in scheduling an appointment with our dentist, Dr. [doctor_name]? If so, we invite you to give [practice_name] a call at [phone]. We’re eager to hear from you.