What Age Should Children Stop Using Pacifiers?

A pacifier can be a great tool to soothe and comfort your baby. But how old is too old to be using a pacifier? In this blog post, we’ll let you know when you should ease your child off their “binky,” and why.

Time to Say Goodbye

When you have a brand new baby, a pacifier becomes a heavily relied on tool to get him or her to stop crying. While some parents may wane their baby off the binky earlier, and the earlier you do will certainly make it easier, experts recommend that parents begin to reduce the use of the pacifier around the age of two, aiming to eliminate it entirely by age four.

Why Ditch the Pacifier

There are plenty of reasons why your child shouldn’t hold onto their pacifier past the age of four, including dental effects. If your child continues to suck on their pacifier as their teeth grow in, it ups their chance of protruding front teeth or a misaligned bite. Be aware that sucking on a thumb can cause the same issues, so make sure your child doesn’t substitute their thumb for the pacifier.

Tips to Transition

As we mentioned, when it comes to kicking the pacifier habit, the earlier the better, and you will want to aim to start early and make it a gradual transition. If, say, it’s too late for that, there’s nothing wrong with going cold turkey–just be prepared for a bit of a fight from your kid!

Family Dentistry in San Antonio

Did you know that children need to see the dentist for the first time as soon as their first tooth appears or by the age of one? If you have a little one, come on in and see us. We have appointments available for the whole family.