Maybe it’s luck of the draw, but I still think earlier is better if you can swing it.
I get what you’re saying, but honestly, I’ve seen kids hang onto a binky longer and end up with zero dental issues. My nephew was obsessed with his until almost 4, and his dentist wasn’t worried at all—said it’s more about how they suck on it than just the age. I do think genetics play a bigger part than people realize. “Oops, it’s lost forever” would not have worked for my kid though... she found every hidden stash like a bloodhound.
it’s more about how they suck on it than just the age
That’s spot on. I’ve seen some kids with a pretty intense “binky habit” who still had no bite changes, while others developed noticeable open bites really early. Genetics, oral muscle tone, and even how much time they actually spend with the pacifier all play into it. Age is just one piece of the puzzle.
I totally relate to this. My youngest was glued to her binky, and honestly, I thought we’d be heading straight for braces by kindergarten. She sucked on it sideways (no idea why), and her bite started getting this little gap. My older son, on the other hand, kept his pacifier until almost three but never had any changes at all.
We tried a bunch of different things—cutting the tip, trading it for a new toy, even leaving it “for the binky fairy.” What finally worked was just letting her keep it only at bedtime until she sort of lost interest herself. It took way longer than I expected, but her bite actually shifted back after a few months without it. I was surprised the change wasn’t permanent.
Did anyone notice their kid’s teeth go back to normal after dropping the pacifier? Or did you need to get help from an orthodontist later?
My daughter’s teeth didn’t shift back on their own, honestly. The gap stayed until her adult teeth came in, and by then our dentist said we’d probably need braces down the line. I wish we’d cut out the binky sooner, but every kid’s different, I guess. Did your dentist ever seem worried or just say to wait and see?
Our dentist was actually pretty chill about it, which honestly surprised me. I kept asking if we needed to worry and she’d just say, “Let’s keep an eye on it.” I swear, I was more stressed than my kid. The gap between his front teeth hung around for ages, and I was convinced it was permanent. But eventually, once his adult teeth started coming in, things shifted a bit—though not totally perfect. We might be looking at braces too, but the dentist still isn’t making a big deal out of it.
Did your dentist ever mention how long to wait before getting worried? Ours kept saying every kid’s mouth grows at its own pace. Sometimes I wonder if that’s just code for “We’ll see if you win the dental lottery or not.” Honestly, I felt a little guilty about letting him keep the binky as long as we did, but taking it away was... well, let’s just say nobody in our house slept for about a week.
I’ve heard mixed things from other parents—some said their kids’ teeth fixed themselves, others needed braces regardless. Makes me feel like it’s just one of those parenting things where you can’t really win either way. Did you notice any changes after your daughter stopped the binky, or did the gap just stick around until her adult teeth came in? Sometimes I wonder if all that stress over pacifiers is worth it in the end.
