Orthodontic Baby Items- Overkill or Sound Preventative Measures?
ROSEMOUNT, EAGAN, ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – We live in an incredibly proactive society these days, where parents want to head off problems at the pass when possible.
That has created a huge market for prevention-oriented products, and the orthodontic field has seen its fair share of beneficial, early treatment options that prevent the need for more extensive treatment as children get older.
But Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth, an Eagan and Rosemount orthodontist, says there can be a fine line between prevention and going over the top.One example, in her professional opinion, is orthodontic baby bottle nipples, pacifiers and sippy cups.
“I always chuckle when I see them in stores because I think, ‘what’s the point?’” says Dr. Eisenhuth, a Rosemount orthodontics expert. “Many problems in children that young correct themselves.”
A preliminary study in 1992 published in Pediatric Dentistry described orthodontic pacifiers as being scientifically designed to support the shape of a baby’s developing palate and jaws. The flattened shape was designed to encourage a natural sucking action to help proper oral development and to simulate the shape of a mother’s nipple when flattened in the mouth, according to an article published on DrGreen.com, a pediatrics website.
But Dr. Eisenhuth, a Rosemount braces provider, has found over the years that in some cases, not only are orthodontic pacifiers and other items unnecessary, they actually have the potential to cause orthodontic problems down the road.
That 19-year-old study also indicated that children who used orthodontic pacifiers had a smaller chance of developing an open bite or an overbite than those who use conventional round pacifiers. However, it stated that the difference was difficult to demonstrate, because neither type tended to cause problems unless sucked intensely for years.
“That’s the point I want to make clear,” says the Rosemount Invisalign provider. “That study all those years ago implied even then in so many words that ‘normal’ use of pacifiers likely wasn’t detrimental to future orthodontic health.”
The sucking instinct is innate in babies, according to information posted on Gerber.com. A pacifier can be comforting during a baby’s first months, but that innate need to suck begins to lessen when a child reaches 6 to 9 months of age.
“That can be a good time to start weaning your baby off of a pacifier,” Dr. Eisenhuth says. “It is the continued use of a pacifier or prolonged habit of thumb-sucking beyond the toddler stage that can cause alignment issues once a child’s primary teeth begin to erupt.”
The Gerber site offers these tips for weaning your baby off of a pacifier:
- Use the pacifier to satisfy your baby’s sucking instincts during the first 6 months- not as a means of quieting a crying baby.
- When you start limiting pacifier use, be prepared to use alternative methods to comfort your baby, such as holding or cuddling him/her.
- Set a goal of weaning your baby from the pacifier at 12 to 18 months of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pacifiers through the first year of life, and most children give them up completely by age 2.
Thumb Sucking
Although children can be weaned from pacifier use at a young age to thwart future oral problems, thumb-sucking can be a more stubborn habit, says Dr. Eisenhuth, a Rosemount, invisible braces expert.
Children need to outgrow the thumb-sucking habit before their adult teeth erupt, because depending on how vigorously your child sucks, it can cause problems with your child’s teeth alignment, she says. It also can change the roof of your child’s mouth and even complicate jaw growth.
“The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children be evaluated by an orthodontist by their seventh birthday,” says Dr. Eisenhuth, who also is a Rosemount Incognito braces provider. “But if a parent sees that their child’s thumb-sucking habit has caused the baby teeth to shift, they should have that evaluation done earlier.”
An orthodontist can help break the habit if the child can’t quit on his/her own. Mouth appliances are available that when installed into a child’s mouth by an orthodontist, remove the soothing sensation felt when thumb-sucking.
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