Long-term use of dummies (including thumb sucking) can lead to complications such as teeth alignment, speech development and mouth growth. Ultimately its up to the parent to decided when to take away the dummy, however NHS England advice between 6-12months (dummy use beyond the age of four increases the chances of long-term dental issues).
In the time period of using a dummy it’s important not to dip/soak the dummy in any foods/drinks, hidden sugars may lead to tooth decay.
There are lots of ways to stop dummy use:
Recently one of our nurses Marie used the dummy fairy as a way of encouraging her little one to give up using the dummy and it worked a treat. Marie used a little fairy door and gave fairy gifts and is now dummy free! 👶
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