Dummy use in babies with teeth

The soother is one of the most used baby accessories during the first years of a baby's life. There are parents who cannot live without it, and others who are totally against its use. Despite the bad reputation it has acquired in recent years, the use of soothers for babies with teeth does not necessarily have any negative effects on the little ones.

Knowing how to remove a dummy from a baby's mouth in time allows the baby's teeth to develop correctly. But what happens if a child wears a soother for longer than it should? What are the associated risks? We analyse all the details.

Recommendations for the use of soothers for teething babies

Up to about 2 years of age, a soother used correctly is very useful for parents and babies. It helps little ones to relax, sleep better and maintain a constant sleep during the night, and also participates in the correct development of the sucking reflex for feeding.

The soother does not interfere with the development of the palate and teeth if it is not used excessively or for long periods of time. Paediatric dentists and orthodontists make a series of recommendations for a healthier use of soothers:

• Limit dummy use to 18-36 months of age, prolonged use can lead to malocclusions.
• Encourage dummy use rather than thumb sucking.
• Do not use the soother to delay mealtimes.
• Do not dip the soother in any sweet food or drink, so as not to expose baby's teeth to the action of dental biofilm bacteria.
• Avoid cleaning the soother with an adult's mouth to avoid cross-contamination of micro-organisms.
• Have different soothers available and change them frequently, so that the child does not become attached to them and it is easier to remove them.

Is a soother harmful to a baby's teeth?

According to a scientific study, when used up to an appropriate age, the soother can even be beneficial for babies. This accessory is the ideal substitute for the finger for babies' essential need to suck between feedings.

Removing the dummy is much easier than correcting a baby's thumb sucking habit. Its correct use by parents and children favours a good physical and mental development of the little ones, without any noticeable negative consequences.

What are the negative consequences of prolonged dummy use?

However, when the soother is not stopped at the right age, it could be associated with different alterations in the baby's mouth. Taking into account the position of the teeth, the tongue, and the use of the facial muscles involved in the sucking action, there are certain negative effects to consider.

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Open bite

An open bite is the lack of contact between the upper and lower incisors when the mouth is closed. Due to the use of the soother, the upper incisors are displaced forwards, while the lower incisors develop inwards.

Deformations

The shape of the palate and dental arches may also be affected. This is due to the position of the muscles of the mouth due to the constant sucking reflex in the accelerated developmental stage of the baby's first years of life.

Rabbit teeth

Known as 'buck teeth', protrusion of the upper front teeth is a common feature in children who have prolonged dummy use or who continue to suck their thumb. In addition to an aesthetic problem, this feature may be associated with speech problems, breathing problems, or affect feeding.

When to remove the soother to avoid oral problems?

According to the recommendations of experts in paediatric dentistry, the soother should disappear before the age of 3 years. The ideal age to start removing it would be between 2 and 3 years old. Never later than 4 years of age.

It is at this stage of the baby's development that the teeth that may have been affected by the use of the soother return to their place. Just as important, if not more important, than giving up the soother is getting the baby to give up any object that needs to be placed in the mouth to sleep, including the thumb.