Tackling Your Dental Treatment Plan

Sucking on a pacifier can provide a great deal of comfort to children. Something as simple as having a favorite binky close by can help the child deal with stress. With visions of orthodontists' bills dancing in their heads, however, many parents are concerned that constant pacifier use will harm children's teeth in the long term. Here's more information about this issue to help you keep your kids' teeth healthy.

The Key is Knowing When to Pull the Plug

In general, pacifier use will not permanently damage the child's baby teeth or bite. When a child uses a pacifier (or sucks his or her thumb) over a period of several years, the pacifier may cause the front teeth to push upwards and spread outwards. This can lead to gaps between teeth and an overbite or cross bite. However, once the child stops using the pacifier, the teeth will often move back in place after a few months.

It's important to note, though, that this only occurs with baby teeth. Once a child's permanent teeth start growing in, usually around age 6 to 7, the risks of permanent tooth damage increases significantly. Not only can long-term pacifier use cause malformation of permanent teeth, it can throw off the child's jaw development, leading to issues with the bite. Since these are now permanent teeth fused solidly to the jaw bone, fixing the issue may require the use of dental appliances such as braces.

Other problems associated with long-term pacifier use include an increased risk of ear infections, a delay in when baby teeth naturally fall out, and speech and language issues.

Kicking the Habit

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association recommends children be weaned off pacifier use no later than age 4. This will give the mouth time to recover from any temporary damage caused by the pacifier before the child's permanent teeth start growing in. You should have your child's teeth checked by a pediatric dentist and work on stopping pacifier use as soon as possible if the dental professional suspects the permanent teeth will start growing in earlier than that.

There are a few things you can do to help your child stop using a pacifier:

• Take it away immediately. The younger the child is, the easier it may be for him or her to break the habit cold turkey. If the child is older and ambulatory, put the pacifier in a place where he or she won't find it. This is best done when things are calm and stable in the child's life to minimize the child's need for the pacifier to self-soothe.
• Have the child give the pacifier to another baby. Generally, children naturally like helping other kids. The joy your child feels at giving his or her pacifier to another child in need may be enough to overcome the anxiety he or she may feel at losing it.
• Limit pacifier use to certain times of the day, such as at bedtime. Then, over time, gradually reduce the number of days the child can use the device until they've stopped needing it completely.

For more information about how pacifiers affect your child's teeth or tips on weaning your child from using one, contact a pediatric dentist like Hoffman & Karl Dental Associates, PLLC.