Use or not to use a pacifier? This is one of the questions we have when our baby arrives in the world. The fear that I can interfere with breastfeeding or cause deformities in your mouth and teeth It leads some parents to choose not to offer it to their children.
However, the Spanish Society of Orthodontics (SEDO) tells us that as long as withdraw before 24 months, the pacifier will not cause oral malformations.
The president of SEDO, Juan Carlos Pérez Varela, explains that making correct use of the pacifier There is no reason to fear that this could affect the oral health of the child:
"The pacifier helps babies fall asleep and calm down when they cry, reduces the incidence of sudden death and is less harmful than the habit of sucking their fingers, or even their hands (because among other things, they cannot be removed the finger to correct the habit) or fall asleep while taking the bottle during the so-called oral phase, because less deformities occur, especially if this is anatomical"
But from SEDO they insist that it is important to remove it before the child turns two, because prolonged use beyond this age can cause malformations in the mouth and teeth.Alterations in the child's mouth caused by the pacifier
The Spanish Society of Orthodontics explains in detail what it happens in the child's mouth from the moment the pacifier is introduced, and how changes occur in the teeth and jaw to adapt to this type of non-nutritive suction:
The first thing that happens is that the lower central teeth gradually deviate inward, while those that are in the same plane but in the upper jaw tend to separate and protrude outward, which is popularly known as "rabbit teeth".
Prolonged use of the pacifier beyond 24 months, can cause the canines to collide with each other and both rows of teeth do not close properly causing a malocclusion known as openbite, that is to say that the upper teeth go forward, and the lower ones back.
On the other hand, the sucking action puts into operation a series of muscles of the face that, together with the position of the tongue, make the upper and lower lines finally lose their parallelism causing cross bite.
Likewise, the permanent use of the pacifier discolor teeth, although these are relocated a few months after interrupting their use, as long as we do so before two years, since it will not have given time for malformations of the temporomandibular joint or significant bone deformations that modify the dental arch definitive
All these oral disorders occur with suction of the pacifier, but so that the malformations are evident more or less constant pressure is necessary for several hours a day and, as we have said, prolonged use beyond 24 months of age.
"After two years, with all the milk teeth out, the pacifier will have already fulfilled its function of calming and relieving the child. Removing it at a late age can affect the placement of the jaws and deform the palate and jaw" - Alert Dr. Pérez Varela.
Once the pacifier is removed, if we see that there have been deformities in the mouth or teeth, it is essential to solve it early, since if it is not done, the child could develop a more serious and difficult to correct malocclusion, apart from the fact that orthodontic treatment would imply a higher economic cost.
Thus, an open bite caused by excessively prolonged use of the pacifier could evolve into a skeletal open bite difficult to solve in adulthood without resorting to surgery. Similarly, a cross bite not corrected in time could lead to a asymmetric face growth.
That is why a correct professional follow-up of our children's oral health, which should start at a very young age and continue periodically throughout his childhood. In this way, we will ensure that any problem that arises will be detected on time and corrected quickly and efficiently.
SEDO tips for proper use of the pacifier
So, if parents want there is no reason to refuse the use of the pacifier If it is done in a responsible manner and following the following recommendations that the Spanish Society of Orthodontics marks:
Use the pacifier as a method to avoid finger sucking, which has more serious consequences in the oral health of the child.
Adjust the pacifier size in relation to the baby's mouth, because if it is not adequate, it will promote deformations.
Do not dip the pacifier in sugar, juice, honey, as this habit can cause tooth decay in the baby's teeth.
Do not use the pacifier to delay a meal.
Remove the pacifier before 24 months of age (Here are some tips you can follow to face this moment, how difficult it can be for some kids).
On the other hand, much has been written regarding the relationship between pacifier use and breastfeeding. From SEDO they tell us that the pacifier could help stimulate the suction effect in babies with little strength:
"When the baby does not have much strength to suck, one way to help them is to do gymnastics with the pacifier" - explains the orthodontist Pérez Varela
However, some studies suggest that the pacifier could jeopardize exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months, and from the La Leche League and the Breastfeeding Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics it is recommended to avoid using the first weeks of the baby's life until breastfeeding is well established.
Photos iStock, Pixabay
Acknowledgments SEDO
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