Pacifiers and Teeth

I took the pacifier away as soon as my kids started getting teeth but I believe that was because of a particular family members daughter. Her teeth had quite a bit of damage done. She is now 14 and she is now going to need braces. She was an extreme case but yes it can happen if that is what you are asking.

My daughter had one until aprx 2 months before her 2nd birthday and I was being told that was too long for her to have it. After she was about 15 months, the pacifier was only .. only at night and naps.. Then gone just before she was 2.. It definitely was messing with her teeth.. even after I took it away, her front teeth were uneven. She use to hold it sideways in her mouth like popeye and she was always biting down on the one tooth.. I see some kids that have pacifiers really late (3 & 4 yr olds!) and they have teeth that look ok, but who knows about the damage it could cause in the future.. So, I say,take it away.. (: Good Luck

I think you should call other dentists office and ask them their opinion? or check some medical websites out- like this one, which states just the opposite of what your dentist told you (scroll to bottom of page):
http://www.braceplace.com/faq.html
Sucking on fingers and pacifiers are habits that may cause teeth malalignment and/or developmental problems of the jaws. This happens to some degree depending on force and duration of the sucking habit. Finger sucking usually causes more of a problem than the pacifier due to the distribution of forces. The fact is that digits are sucked for a longer period of time. Therefore it is recommended that pacifiers be used if one of the other is deemed necessary by the parent.

Many times merely stopping the habit will spontaneously return the teeth and jaws to their proper position. It will certainly stop any additional movement. It still may be necessary to move the teeth orthodontically, even though the habit has been stopped. Therefore, it is very beneficial for you as the parent to attempt to reward behavior modification training to stop the habit. If this is unsuccessful or teeth remain out of alignment after 6 months, I suggest you see an orthodontist for his opinion regarding possible orthodontic intervention.

I hope this helps?

Sucking the thumb is just as bad! I ended up having to have braces because of that. Both are not good for the teeth! I have never heard of that with the pacifier, but I know from experience that sucking the thumb is not good.

My daughter had a pacifier until she was nearly 5, I am ashamed to admit. She had a little overbite when she quit using it. But you could lterally see her mouth change through pictures over a year from a little over bite to perfectly straight and aligned. Now they are all falling out because she's almost 7! I think that as long as you ditch it before her permenant teeth start coming in, it should be fine.

My little sister (now 21) had a pacifier I think until she started grade school. She definitely had to have braces and the whole nine yards. I was a thumb sucker and I have never had braces or any trouble with my teeth. My sister-in-law is a dentist. She was telling me about a little girl she knew that her teeth actually grew around the pacifier sot hat she had a hole between her front teeth just big enough for the paci to fit through. That was enough to scare me. She thinks that it is best to cut the end off of the pacifier (so there is no more joy, I guess, in sucking on it) at around 2 years of age. That is what she suggested we do, anyway. My daughter is now 13 months and only uses the pacifier to go to sleep and if she is really worked up about something. She won't suck on her thumb or fingers.

oh yes...I am paying dearly for having two boys who both sucked pacifiers until they were almost 4. Boy # 1 just finished braces and boy #2 is just starting. Both also had tongue thrusts where they rested their tongues on the back of their front teeth and eventually created a huge gap in between the front two. I will say that neither one of them sucked their thumb after finally losing the binky. I don't think your daughter would---different texture and concept. Good luck to you!

My daughter used a pacifier until just after her third birthday. She has uneven top teeth, crooked bottom teeth and an overbite. The dentist told me I should probably start saving for orthodontia now.

All 3 of my daughters used a pacifier. The 2 older ones used the Nuk until they were 3, and their teeth are fine. My youngest used the round kind like the hospitals give out, and at her dentist appt. the dentist showed my that her teeth did not " bite down" correctly - her bite formed an "O" like her binky. It is correcting a bit now, but she will need work later on. I'm curious why your dentist thinks a thumb would be better?
Good luck!