An issue that is very important in child development is their Speech and Language Skills and when it’s time to remove the pacifier. Pacifier use and its effects on speech and language skills is a topic that is highly debated. When is the best time to remove a pacifier? Prolonged pacifier use and thumb sucking has been linked to dental problems and increased middle ear infections after age one. The American Dental Association reported that pacifier use in 3- to 5-year-old children led to anterior open bite, posterior cross bite, mean over jet, and smaller intercanine distance of the upper arch. While a pacifier is important for soothing it becomes a hindrance when it’s time for a child to develop speech. Imitation and babbling can be prevented if the child constantly has a pacifier. This is an important issue when beginning to articulate speech sounds. Dentition determines placement for some sounds and will come out disordered if not produced in the correct place. I am always encouraging parents to explore other options besides a pacifier. If a child MUST have a pacifier it is helpful to limit the amount of time that they use it. In reading several blogs there are many different opinions about this topic. Parents are desperate to calm their child and they automatically resort to a pacifier. Being more aware of the long term effects a pacifier has may encourage parents to remove it in order to prevent future speech problems.
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