As a pediatric dentist and the mother of twins, I am fully aware of all tragic and comedic entertainment values of the “Cutting-off toddler’s use of pacifiers” saga.
A 6-month infant’s addiction to pacifiers is very common and it is related to the development of their sucking reflexes. All babies have a sucking reflex, but it is more clearly expressed in some than in others. There are babies, whose sucking reflex in their first months is so strong that should they not use pacifiers, they would literally never let go of their mom’s breast. А pacifier may be a good solution, when the breast-fed child has a runny nose, with secretions flowing back into their throat. In this case, the baby us usually restless and constantly tries to suck for comfort. Pacifiers’ positive effects also include easier going to sleep, faster calming in case of painful interventions (blood-sampling, vaccinations), during flights, they help equalize the pressure on both sides of the ear-drum, reduces the risk of a sudden infant death syndrome.
If you offer a pacifier, it is best to choose an entirely silicon or rubber one, and not latex. Latex is a material, often causing allergic reactions, and plastics contain harmful substances, released when heated, as is the case during sterilization. I recommend rubber pacifiers, but they need to be changed more often, because after a number of sterilizations, rubber becomes sticky and prone to breakage.
After the 8th month sucking reflex is gradually replaced by the chewing reflex, and active tooth eruption begins. If you start offering the babies suitable teething comforters and toys, which they would be able to chew, instead of the classic pacifier, you reduce the chance of them getting addicted to the pacifiers.
After reaching 2 years toddlers’ use of pacifiers become rather a harmful habit than a necessity, preventing proper arrangement and contact of the teeth in the upper and lower jaw (the front teeth start protruding forward and a distance appears between them, large enough to accommodate the pacifier), an increased incidence of ear infections is observed, as well as articulation and speech issues.
Go for an early withdrawal! One of the methods for a “less troublesome” going through this process is to make sure that this happens, before the toddler reaches the age of 1,5 years, this would result in “protesting”, tantrums and discontent for several days, but as soon as the toddler goes through this period, they will forget all about the pacifier. Parents, however, are required to suddenly make all pacifiers disappear from their home, and every family member should be aware that patience and resilience are required. Because often parents of our little patients have told me how they rushed to the 24/7 pharmacy to get a pacifier, because the situation was completely intolerable… The most serious issue here, would be if the toddler replaces the pacifier with thumb-sucking. In this case, the pacifier will have to be brought back, because “thumb-sucking” is a habit that is much more persistent and difficult to break, and then try again sometime later... When launching the anti-pacifier campaign, we must make sure that the toddler is perfectly healthy, is not subject to any emotional stress – the birth of another baby, starting to go to daycare, absence of one of the parents, etc.
Observe the child closely, note when and in what situations they look for their pacifier. Decide whether they need it out of habit, for comfort or to deal with erupting teeth. The easiest thing to do is to cut the top of the pacifier, thus preventing its hermitization in the mouth, which would help for the quicker breaking of the habit. Another trick you may employ is sending the pacifier, tied to a helium balloon, up in the skies to the Pacifiers’ Realm, never forgetting to take a video of this ritual with your phone, which you can then show your child, every time they want their pacifier.
Hold the child in your arms more during this period, read them stories at bedtime, talk, sing, rely on the authority of their elder siblings, showing that they no longer have pacifiers, having “grown-up”
Just be firm and patient! If you are currently undergoing this period of your child, do not forget that this too shall pass, and another thing will come – as wise people say.
Fingers crossed!
Yours truly, Dr. Cvety
