As late as the 1940s, babies in Germany were still being given pacifiers (Zuzel) to calm them down, with overzealous mothers stuffing sweet rusk porridge into them. As a result, the very first milk teeth were affected by caries. In 1949, Professor Wilhelm Baltes and Dr. Adolf Müller invented the “natural and jaw-friendly soother and jaw former” to prevent tooth damage. As a dentist, Müller had also frequently had to treat children with jaw and bite malocclusions caused by thumb sucking. Children who had been breastfed for a long time hardly showed any deformities. So, together with Baltes, an orthodontist, Müller developed a prosthesis made of compliant rubber, which overall resembled the mother’s breast and was adapted to the shape of the palate with its beveled tip.
The optimal shape
The modern pacifier consists essentially of a mouthpiece, made of latex or silicone, and a shield that prevents the mouthpiece from being swallowed. The ideal pacifier exerts little pressure on the jaw, leaves enough room for the tongue and does not disturb the child when swallowing.
Silicone or latex?
… this is usually decided by the taste of the child. If the pacifier does not taste good, it is simply spit out. Latex consists of natural rubber milk, contains fats, feels very soft, is also extremely bite and tear resistant. However, a latex pacifier also becomes unsightly more quickly. It is advisable to replace it after about six to eight weeks. Some babies are allergic to the proteins contained in latex.
Silicone is a material frequently used in medical technology that is very temperature-resistant and can therefore be disinfected easily, safely and almost indefinitely. Silicone is completely tasteless and odorless, and while it holds its shape well in sunlight and heat, it can be bitten through more quickly. When the first little teeth sprout, regular inspection of the teat for signs of use is called for.
Hygiene
Many mothers lick the dropped pacifier before giving it to the baby – for hygiene reasons. Although this “mouth cleaning” gets rid of dirt, dust and lint, it can transfer fungi and especially caries bacteria from mother to child. Although the risk is not particularly high, it is still better to wash off the pacifier or other objects that the baby puts in its mouth. Or have a replacement with you for when you’re out and about. For daily care, boiling in a small pot of boiling water is recommended.
Tooth damage
Often the little ones suck well into kindergarten age. However, by the second year of life at the latest, the child should be able to do without them at night. According to scientists at the University of Iowa, the “nunu” harms the teeth. Incorrect bites, protruding canines and displacement of the molars occur more frequently in pacifier children than in children who suck little. However, it takes time for the jaw to shift as a result of pacifier use. According to a Scandinavian study, it takes two years for changes to occur in the upper jaw, and three years for changes to occur in the lower jaw.
Good pacifier or alternative thumb
However, the right pacifier is always better than the thumb, because it is hard and not shaped “suitable for the jaw”. If children suck their thumbs, malformations of the jaw and malocclusions of the teeth can occur, which are very costly and tedious to regulate, have a negative effect on pronunciation and sometimes make biting off impossible. The soft material and its optimally adapted shape of the pacifier should minimize these risks.
