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For fussy babies,
a pacifier can calm and soothe. However, dental experts
warn that once a child reaches the preschool years,
a pacifier can become a habit that impedes the development
of healthy teeth.
If a child continues
using a pacifier past the age of 3, serious dental malformation
can occur, says Al Tonn, DDS, Delta's pediatric dentist
consultant. The most common malformation is an open
space in the front teeth or an overbite in which the
upper teeth protrude.
"Unlike
sucking the thumb, using a pacifier is a learned response,
so it's a little easier to unlearn the habit,"
says Dr. Tonn, who has had a pediatric dentistry practice
in Manteca for 45 years.
Researchers
say that many prolonged pacifier users become prolonged
thumb-suckers after the pacifier is taken away, adding
to a child's risk of adversely modifying the teeth's
natural position.
In addition
to moving and shifting teeth, the Academy of General
Dentistry reports that pacifier users are more likely
to suffer from acute middle ear infections.
At the very
least, children who use pacifiers past their toddler
years may eventually need braces, and that alone should
alert parents to the potential for dental problems and
expense.
"Some parents don't want to
upset the child and don't want to see him or her cry,"
Dr. Tonn says. "If you tell the parent that breaking
the pacifier habit could prevent undue orthodontic costs
down the road, that's also a financial incentive to
consider."
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