Dummies and thumb sucking
Key health professionals for delivering this care:
- Midwives
- Health visitors
- Nursery nurses.
Key messages:
- Not all babies need a dummy but if your baby does, try to limit their use to when you feel they need it most
- Frequent use of a dummy, thumb-sucking, or bottles beyond 12 months old can cause a gap in the top front teeth. As a result, the teeth move to make space for the dummy/thumb. This is called an open bite
-
This can require braces or even jaw surgery to re-align later in life
-
This can interfere with eating, speech development (like a lisp), uneven tooth wear, and your child may be unhappy with the appearance of their teeth as they grow up.
-
- Discourage your child from running around, talking, or making sounds with a dummy or their thumb in their mouth. Don't dip dummies in anything sweet, such as sugar or jam
- Never suck your baby’s dummy to ‘clean’ it as this will spread germs between you and your baby. Keep plenty of spares instead.