Pros and Cons of Pacifiers

The Positive and Negative Effects of Your Child’s Pacifier

Pacifiers are used when children are very young as a means to pacify them when they are upset, hence the name “pacifier.” While these little tools are useful, it often becomes difficult for parents to wean their children off the pacifier when they get older. While there has been much debate among the parenting and medical community about the use of pacifiers for children, both pros and cons of using pacifiers have been discovered over time.

Positive Effects of Pacifiers

While there have been many statements that pacifiers are not good for young children, there have also been a number of research studies that have shown there are also positive effects in their use. One benefit is that pacifiers can actually help reduce the number of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases. Babies who use a pacifier to sleep often do not go into as deep of a sleep as babies who do not, and waking children in deep sleep can sometimes halt their breathing.

Negative Effects of Pacifiers

Although there are huge positives for using pacifiers, there are also some negative effects to pacifiers that parents should be aware of, especially when it comes to a child’s oral health. Professionals believe that children should stop using a pacifier regularly when they reach the age of two – this is due to the fact that any tooth alignment issues that may occur before this age usually correct themselves within six months after pacifier use has stopped.

Prolonged use of a pacifier and even thumb sucking can lead to a number of oral health problems including problems with the mouth growing properly, changes to the shape of the roof of the mouth, as well as issues with teeth alignment. In addition to oral health concerns, prolonged pacifier use can also lead to acute middle ear infections – prolonged sucking on a pacifier or thumb can actually cause auditory tubes within the ears to become abnormally open, which allows secretions and bacteria from the throat to seep into the middle ear and cause infections.

Breaking children from their habit of using a pacifier is not always an easy task for parents, but there are several methods that can be used to help make the transition easier for both the parents and their children. If you are worried about the effects of pacifiers on your child, consider consulting with a dentist and having a plan in place. To save as much as 20 percent off your dental bills, sign up for our New Hampshire discount dental plan, the New Hampshire Family Discount Dental Plan. For more information, click here.

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