Still can’t believe something that tiny can mess with their bite so much.
Right? Pacifiers seem harmless until you see those little front teeth start shifting. I get the “Bugs Bunny” panic—totally normal. Most of the time, once the binky’s gone, things bounce back on their own. Kids’ mouths are pretty resilient, thankfully.
Most of the time, once the binky’s gone, things bounce back on their own. Kids’ mouths are pretty resilient, thankfully.
That’s what our pediatric dentist told us too, and honestly, it was a relief. I remember panicking a bit when my daughter’s front teeth started to look a little...angled? The way she’d hold onto that binky for dear life, you’d think it was her security blanket. But yeah, it’s wild how something so small can have a visible impact.
We actually tried the “binky fairy” thing—left it under her pillow, got a little toy in return. She was skeptical, but after a few rough nights, she adjusted. I was half-expecting her teeth to stay a little off, but within a year, they really did move back. Guess those baby teeth are more flexible than I realized. Still, I do wonder if we should’ve tried to take it away sooner. Some of my friends’ kids needed more dental follow-up because the habit stuck around longer.
Do you think the type of pacifier matters? I’ve seen claims that the “orthodontic” ones are less likely to cause shifting, but I’m not sure how much of that is marketing. We just used whatever was around, honestly. Also, did anyone notice their kids switching to thumb-sucking after the binky was gone? That was my other big worry, but luckily she didn’t go down that road.
I guess every kid’s different, but I’m curious if the timing or the way you ditch the binky makes a real difference in how their teeth bounce back. Anyone try a cold turkey approach, or was it more gradual?
I totally get that worry about whether you should’ve ditched the binky earlier—I felt the same way. My son was attached to his, and we did notice some shifting, but his dentist reassured us it would self-correct once he stopped. We used the “binky fairy” too, and it was surprisingly effective (with a few rough nights). As for the orthodontic pacifiers, I’ve heard mixed things... our dentist said they might help a little but not to stress over brand. And yeah, I was bracing for thumb-sucking next, but he never picked it up either. Timing seems to matter less than just eventually stopping the habit—kids’ mouths are pretty amazing at bouncing back.
Timing seems to matter less than just eventually stopping the habit—kids’ mouths are pretty amazing at bouncing back.
Totally agree—kids’ mouths are way more adaptable than we give them credit for. I do think, though, that the longer the binky sticks around, the harder it can be to break the habit (and the more stubborn those little dental shifts get). We waited a bit too long with my oldest and did see a slight overbite, but things corrected on their own after a few months without it. I’m with you on not stressing about brands—orthodontic pacifiers might help a bit, but nothing beats just getting rid of it altogether when you can. The “binky fairy” is genius, by the way... wish I’d thought of that sooner.
I get where you're coming from, but I’ve gotta gently disagree about timing not mattering much. My niece hung onto her pacifier until she was almost 5 (her parents tried everything short of bribing her with a pony). Her teeth didn’t just bounce back—they needed a little help from the orthodontist later. Maybe some kids are dental superheroes, but I wouldn’t bank on it every time.
Funny thing, my younger cousin ditched his binky cold turkey at 2 and his teeth looked perfect. Maybe it’s luck of the draw, but I still think earlier is better if you can swing it. And yeah, the binky fairy is adorable, but my family went with the “oops, it’s lost forever” approach. Not as magical, but effective.
