Dummies

Sucking a dummy can help relax and settle babies but many parents are concerned about the effect of a dummy on their child’s teeth and mouth.

Problems caused by dummies

For many children, sucking a dummy, thumb or finger can cause changes to the teeth and jaws. The younger a child stops sucking a dummy, the more likely their teeth and jaws will correct the growth problems naturally.

Long-term dummy use may lead to:

• incorrect positioning of teeth – upper teeth may be pushed further forward than is ideal, or the top and bottom front teeth may not touch. This can change the way the teeth meet when the child bites and can also affect speech development, especially s and z sounds.
• mouth breathing – the upper airway can be narrowed leading to mouth breathing causing the mouth to dry out which increases the risk of tooth decay. Narrow airways can also lead to issues with quality of sleep.
• speech and language problems – having a dummy in the mouth may delay children using sounds to communicate, and prevent them from exploring the full range of tongue movements required to make all the speech sounds.
• tooth decay (especially the front teeth) – if the dummy is dipped in sugary substances such as honey or jam.

Stopping dummy use

Give your child the chance to stop their dummy habit when they are ready. Most children stop sucking habits between the ages of two and four, but you can start the process from around one year of age. If left too long the child can become more attached and it may be harder to stop.

Avoid trying to stop dummy use suddenly, as it can lead to other oral habits such as thumb or finger sucking.

You might start by limiting the use of the dummy, for example only using it at sleep times or at night time. Give plenty of encouragement and persist gently but firmly. It may take several attempts before the habit is completely broken. Try to be patient. The first few days without a dummy are likely to be the most difficult.
If the habit continues into primary school years, seek advice from your oral health professional.

Dummy sucking versus thumb or finger sucking

Studies of children who suck their thumb or finger shows they have more difficulty breaking their habit than children who suck a dummy. One advantage of the dummy over finger sucking is that the dummy can be gently taken away when the child goes to sleep. This helps form the habit of sleeping without dummy sucking.

Keeping dummies safe

Never dip dummies in sweet things such as honey, jams or syrups; this can cause severe tooth decay very quickly.

Follow good hygiene procedures. Dummies may cause infection if they are shared with other children or picked up from the floor.

Check that dummies are in good condition and meet Australian safety approval ratings.

Where to get help

• Your oral health professional (dentist)
• Your maternal and child health nurse
• Speech pathologist
• Dental Health Services Victoria provides public dental services through the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and community dental clinics, for eligible people. For information about public dental services call (03) 9341 1000 or 1800 833 039 (outside Melbourne metro)
• Australian Dental Association 'Find a Dentist ' or Tel. (03) 8825 4600
• Speech pathologist