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- Affect of Dummies on Baby Teeth
- By: Teeth by MELANIE C
Many parents use dummies to settle their babies and get a little relief from the constant crying. The trouble is, dummy sucking often becomes a habit and continues well after it is needed. But can sucking a dummy have a bad effect on baby teeth? Experts tell us that damage may occur if the dummy is constantly dipped into sweet and sugary substances such as honey or syrups of any kind.The position of the dummy in the mouth is such that these sugary liquids are kept against the front teeth where they will certainly cause decay over time, especially if the child goes to sleep with the dummy firmly in place. And many mothers suck the dummy to 'clean' it when dropped, before popping it in their child's mouth. This can help cause decay by transferring bacteria from mother's mouth to the child's.
If a dummy is used beyond school age, incorrect positioning of the front teeth is likely to occur. The top and bottom front teeth will not meet properly. Other problems that can occur are incorrect breathing which can cause excessive dribbling, and lack of language skills. The only good thing about a dummy is that you can throw it away. If a child gets into the habit of sucking their fingers or thumb, the problem is not so easily solved.
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