Never Take Your Healthy Teeth for Granted

Do you have a child that still regularly uses a pacifier after some of teeth have come in? If so, know that this can have some harmful effects on their teeth. Even though it is your child's set of baby teeth that are in their mouth, you need to get them to stop using a pacifier due to the following dangers. 

The Problems

Problems With Teeth Eruption

When your child is in the process of having their baby teeth erupt from beneath the gum line, that pacifier use can cause some big problems. In some situations, pacifier use can actually delay when the baby teeth start to come in. 

Problems With Bite Alignment

Another problem you can run into is a bite that becomes misaligned. The constant sucking on a pacifier can also cause the baby teeth to erupt incorrectly, which can have an impact on neighboring teeth. While you may think this is not a huge deal because they are baby teeth, know that the position of those baby teeth has an impact on their adult teeth. You do not want baby teeth growing in at odd angles as an adult tooth tries to erupt behind it. It can cause teeth to push against each other in odd ways that will cause problems with their adult teeth.

Problems With Ear Infections

While not directly related to oral health, be aware that pacifier use can also lead to more frequent ear infections. This happens due to the pressure that is put on the ear's auditory tubes, which lead to the middle ear to be affected by fluid. It will lead to the inflammation and swelling associated with an ear infection.

The Solution

One of the best things you can do is start weaning your child off their pacifier when their first teeth start to come in. It may be rough the first few days after they no longer have a pacifier, but your child will eventually adjust. You should also be taking your child to a dentist as soon as they start developing natural teeth to make sure that nothing is wrong with how their teeth are growing in. While it may be tempting to just let them have the pacifier, know the long term effects can cause both of you to regret it.

Speak to a local kids dentist for more information about making an appointment for a checkup and cleaning.