Dummies are used to soothe because babies have a strong sucking reflex. They can be an invaluable support to parents and babies in the early months of development.
Dummies are fine when your baby or young toddler is tired or upset and at night to aid a restful sleep, but should be taken away in the day, as keeping a dummy in can negatively affect speech and dentition. A dummy stops a child from talking and prevents you from understanding what they have to say. A dummy reduces babbling and your child is less likely to copy sounds you make. A child using a dummy regularly beyond the age of 12 months could be likely to struggle to develop speech sounds made in the front of the mouth such as p, b, t, d, and s ( due to over development of muscles in the front of the mouth compared to those at the back). Dummy use may also increase the number of atypical errors in your young child's speech so should be used sparingly and preferably at night only.
To develop speech babies and young children need to explore a range of mouth movements such as opening and closing their mouths, smiling and sticking out their tongues. Dummies limit these movements. Children need to control saliva by closing their mouths and swallowing. Overuse of dummies leads to drooling and saliva problems. Children need to be wide awake to learn and explore. Dummies have the opposite soothing, relaxing effect.
Dummy use beyond about 4-5 years of age increases the chance of dental problems later on in childhood such as misaligned teeth and open or cross bites and this in turn negatively affects biting and chewing.
Dummy use is also linked to a slightly increased rate of middle ear infections. This is because sucking opens the Eustachian tube, which links the nose to the middle ear and this can allow bacteria into the middle ear from the nasal area.
Offer something else as a comforter in place of a dummy such as a specific blanket or teddy and tell them the dummy is 'lost'. Change the dummies taste or cut off bits of the teat to destroy it in stages. The key is consistency: if the dummy has been taken away, don't cave in!
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