How long do you allow a pacifier if it's ONLY used at bedtime...?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a thumb sucker, there doesn’t seem to be as much of a stigma with a 3yo thumb sucker ad there is with s 3yo with a paci in her mouth. Anyway, I would say sometime around 3, almost 4. Our dentist said DD was changing the shake of the roof of her mouth so needed to stop. We got her to cut down to naps and bedtime. Then did a huge bribe to get her to stop at those times. It worked.

My kid would frequently switch to his thumb whenever we tried to take the paci away. I was unsure if one was better than the other, as far as tooth health goes. Dentist was surprisingly unconcerned about it, as long as it stayed a 'only at bedtime' sort of thing.

I just feel super awkward when my son stays the night over with family or even grandparents etc, and they find out he's sleeping with a paci still at his age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never it messes up their teeth

Pediatric dentist told me it only “messes” with their teeth temporarily -teeth will move back to natural position.

Daughter gave it up at 5. She’s been fine.

[Anonymous]

My son is neurotypical, but high functioning. We had multiple regular hospital visits up until the present day.

Until a bit after age 7, we'd bring a paci with us to the hospital, and he'd use it regularly while in the privacy of his room -- and for bedtime at home.

I get not everyone reading this has a kid with ASD and sensory issues going on, but my point is, my (then) 7 year old used a pacifier almost nightly for years, and FWIW, he's never had any kind of teeth issues at all. Dentist didn't even care when we told him early on.

I think it's just dependent on the child, how little or how much it affects their teeth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is neurotypical, but high functioning. We had multiple regular hospital visits up until the present day.

Until a bit after age 7, we'd bring a paci with us to the hospital, and he'd use it regularly while in the privacy of his room -- and for bedtime at home.

I get not everyone reading this has a kid with ASD and sensory issues going on, but my point is, my (then) 7 year old used a pacifier almost nightly for years, and FWIW, he's never had any kind of teeth issues at all. Dentist didn't even care when we told him early on.

I think it's just dependent on the child, how little or how much it affects their teeth.

Meant to say NOT neurotypical. My fault.

Also, just read the OP said her kid is 4? That's a non-issue in my book, esp if it's just for night.

[Anonymous]

My youngest was 2 when we just decided to stop buying them and stop looking for them. When we couldn’t find the last one he shrugged and went to sleep.

[Anonymous]

I would phase out the pacifier. That's just one more thing you have to remember to pack for overnight trips, etc.