It’s time to talk about baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, and thumbs.
Yes, something so simple could be the root cause of a lot of health problems, such as crooked teeth, bedwetting, and sleep apnea, as well as gum disease and cavities. Strong words, I know, but we need to take a closer at how we feed, hydrate, and soothe our children.
As a mom, I did all these wrong things for and to my children. I did my best, but I didn’t know that what I was doing was actually harmful to their facial growth and development. I followed the popular trends and recommendations for bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups—so many to pick from, and so much confusion as to the “best one.” I thought all those products were safe and OK to use for my girls, but I was wrong.
Research shows that a pacifier creates what’s called a “lateral or posterior open bite” (the teeth don’t touch in the molar areas) because the tongue likes to go there during swallowing. It forces the teeth apart.
The bottom line: bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, and thumbs all train the tongue to stay down on the floor of the mouth and teach children several bad habits.
Learn more from my full blog post, The trouble with sippy cups, pacifiers, and bottles
More blog topics:
The possible link between tartar buildup and nutrition
Dental decay and conquering cavities
Barbara Tritz, MSB, BSDATE, BRDH, is a biological dental hygienist and orofacial myofunctional therapist whose blog, Queen of Dental Hygiene, provides patients the information they need to help them on their healing journey. “Our one-hour appointment time was just not long enough to share all the many important facts I wanted our patients to learn. Dental hygiene is about so much more than just teaching brushing and flossing," says Barbara. “We are healers, educators, and lifesavers, and we need to give our patients the tools and skills to empower them to true wellness and health.
