Why We Recommend Limiting Pacifier Use for Your Baby’s Oral and Airway Development

Why We Recommend Limiting or Avoiding Pacifier Use for Your Baby’s Oral and Airway Development

‍As a mom and a pediatric dentist, I completely understand why pacifiers are so popular. But as your child grows, continued pacifier use can begin to affect the way their mouth, jaw, and airway develop.

The Early Benefits

In the first few months of life, pacifiers can:

• Help regulate emotions, particularly when crying
  
  
• Provide comfort between feedings
  
  
• Develop the suck reflex, particularly for premature babies

However, these benefits are short-term, and by around six months, your baby’s oral development reaches a critical stage.

How Pacifiers Can Affect Oral and Airway Growth

As your baby’s muscles and bones develop, every sucking, swallowing, and breathing motion helps shape their face and airway. Prolonged pacifier use can interfere with this natural process.

Common effects of extended pacifier use include:

• High, narrow palate: The constant sucking pressure can change the shape of the upper jaw.
  
  
• Tongue posture issues: The pacifier keeps the tongue low in the mouth instead of resting on the palate, where it should be for healthy growth and nasal breathing.
  
  
• Dental changes: Long-term use can cause open bites or crossbites as teeth begin to come in.

• Airway development concerns: A high palate can reduce nasal space, sometimes leading to snoring, mouth breathing, or other sleep-related breathing issues later on.

When to Start Weaning

We generally recommend beginning to limit pacifier use around six months. This is when your child’s facial and airway structures are rapidly developing, and it’s easier to transition away from sucking habits before they become ingrained.

A Balanced Approach

It’s important to remember that you haven’t done anything wrong by using a pacifier; it’s a helpful early tool! Our goal is simply to help families know when to move on, so that your baby’s oral and airway development can continue in a healthy, natural direction.

In our next post, we’ll share gentle, practical steps for weaning your baby off the pacifier without stress for you or your little one.