Binkies, Dodies, Teethers, and Thumbs, Oh My! Parents know that there are times when pacifying your child is as much for you as it is for them. But when is it time to stop the pacifiers and thumbsucking in Hamden and why?
Pacifiers or Thumbs
A baby starts forming teeth in the womb. Through their childhood, their mouths form and their teeth begin to grow in. Any parent who has gone through teething, you know that one of the easiest ways to help your baby is to put a cold pacifier in their mouth.
Babies will put anything within reach in their mouth, a bottle, their fist, their foot, so a pacifier can be a life saver.
The problem is the amount of time that the pacifier is used. Prolonged use can lead to:
- Crooked or crowded teeth
- Jaw misalignment
- Problems with biting
- Protrusion of the tongue
- Changes in the roof of the mouth or
- Change in the position of teeth.
Some studies have shown that the overuse of pacifiers can also lead to nipple confusion syndrome, chronic ear infections, and speech disorders in children,
However, allowing your child to suck their thumb can be even worse. The biggest problem with opting against a pacifier is weaning your child off of their thumb or fingers. They’re attached and you can’t just take them away.
Why do parents use pacifiers in Hamden?
There are some benefits to using a pacifier with your child. As noted above, when it comes time to wean them off of it, you can gradually do so without it seeming like a punishment. Pacifiers have also been noted by the American Academy of Pediatrics that pacifiers can reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Pacifiers are used to:
- Calm a fussy baby.
- As a distraction.
- After a painful procedure such as a blood test or vaccine shots.
- To help your child fall asleep.
- Make airplane travel easier for babies.
How to Use a Pacifier?
A pacifier is a tool for any diaper bag and it needs to be used for the right jobs, at the right times, in the right manner.
- Make sure the pacifier is the right size.
- Have several pacifiers so you can always have one that’s clean and sanitized at the ready.
- Try and limit use to no more than 6 hours a day.
- Don’t force a pacifier. If they are asleep and it falls out, walk away.
- Don’t coat the pacifier with anything. They need no encouragement to put something in their mouth.
- Buy orthodontic pacifiers to reduce the chances of pushing teeth forward.
- Don’t add a ribbon, lanyard, or a tie to the pacifier. Tying or attaching a pacifier to clothing, or bedding can increase the risk of accidental strangulation.
- Try to calm your baby without a pacifier.
- As soon as they learn to talk, encourage them to remove the pacifier. This will allow them to learn speech as well as begin the weaning process.
- Begin weaning around the age of two but no later than four as this is when they may begin to start losing their baby teeth.
Prolonged use of pacifiers after the age of two shows the most significant occurrences of “pacifier teeth”. Talk to the dental office to find out how your baby’s mouth is developing. They may recommend weaning sooner rather than later.
Give us a call today at (203) 248-0011 to schedule your baby’s first appointment. We want to start them off on the right foot, preferably not the one they put in their mouth.