Dummies, also called pacifiers or soothers, are small nipple-shaped devices designed for babies to suck on without receiving any milk or food. They satisfy a baby’s natural urge to suck, which begins in the womb and serves as one of an infant’s earliest ways to self-soothe and stay calm. Most dummies have three parts: a nipple that goes in the baby’s mouth, a shield or guard that rests against the face to prevent swallowing, and a handle or ring for easy removal.
Why Babies Want to Suck
Sucking is a reflex, not just a feeding behavior. Babies are born with a strong drive to suck that goes well beyond hunger. This non-nutritive sucking, as it’s called clinically, helps infants regulate their own state. The rhythmic, repetitive motion promotes physiological stability by triggering the body’s calming systems. It also stimulates the vagus nerve in the mouth, which in turn encourages the release of digestive enzymes and hormones that support gut function.
In practice, this means a dummy can lower a fussy baby’s heart rate and help them settle. Neonatal units have used dummies for decades to comfort premature babies and help them develop the coordinated suck-swallow-breathe pattern they need before they can feed independently. For full-term babies at home, the effect is simpler: a dummy gives them something to suck on when they’re tired, overstimulated, or just need comfort between feeds.
The Link to Reduced SIDS Risk
One of the most significant findings about dummy use is its association with a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A meta-analysis of seven studies found that babies who used a dummy during sleep had a 61% lower risk of SIDS compared to babies who didn’t. A separate analysis using the same data estimated the reduction at 52%, and one individual study suggested the protective effect could be as high as 90%.
Researchers aren’t entirely certain why dummies offer this protection. Leading theories suggest the bulky shield keeps bedding away from the nose and mouth, and that the sucking action may help babies maintain more active sleep patterns, making them less likely to stop breathing. Whatever the mechanism, the association is strong enough that many pediatric organizations consider dummy use during sleep a reasonable protective measure during the first year of life.
Types of Dummies
Dummies come in two main nipple shapes and two main materials, and the combinations matter more than most parents realize.
Nipple Shape
Cherry-shaped (or conventional) nipples are round and symmetrical, similar to the end of a bottle teat. Orthodontic nipples are flattened on one side to sit more naturally against the palate, and many feature a thinner neck where the nipple meets the shield. In a randomized trial, dummies with this thin-neck design caused fewer cases of open bite (where the front teeth don’t meet when the mouth is closed) and less forward protrusion of the upper teeth compared to conventional round nipples. If you’re choosing a first dummy, orthodontic shapes are generally the better option for long-term dental health.
Nipple Material
Silicone is the more popular choice. It’s firm, durable, odorless, taste-neutral, and hypoallergenic. You can sterilize silicone dummies by boiling them, which makes hygiene straightforward. Latex is softer and more flexible, which some babies prefer, but it wears out faster, can’t withstand high-heat sterilization without warping, and carries a small risk of allergic reaction. If your baby has any known latex sensitivity, stick with silicone.
Dental Effects and the Age-Three Threshold
The biggest concern parents hear about dummies is the effect on teeth and jaw development, and there’s a clear age boundary that separates minor from serious risk. Research consistently identifies three years as the critical cutoff. Children who stop using a dummy before age three show substantially lower rates of bite problems. Those who continue past three are far more likely to develop structural changes that need orthodontic treatment.
The numbers illustrate this sharply. In one study, children under three who used dummies had an open bite rate of 18.8%, while those who continued past three jumped to 65.1%. Another study found the rate rose from 22.3% to 35.5% after the three-year mark. Use beyond three years was also linked to higher rates of misalignment in the back teeth (posterior crossbite) and distortion of how the upper and lower jaws meet.
The good news is that bite changes caused by dummy use before age three often correct themselves once the habit stops, especially before the permanent teeth start coming in. Dental organizations recommend ending the habit well before adult teeth erupt, which typically begins around age six.
Ear Infection Risk
Dummy use is associated with a higher rate of middle ear infections. Studies show the risk can be up to three times higher in children who use dummies, and there’s a dose-response pattern: babies who suck on a dummy constantly face greater risk than those who use one only at sleep time. The likely explanation involves changes in pressure within the ear canal during sucking, which can encourage fluid buildup and bacterial growth.
This risk is lower in the first several months of life, when ear infections are less common overall. Some experts have suggested restricting dummy use to the first ten months, when the sucking urge is strongest and ear infection rates are naturally low. If your baby is prone to ear infections, limiting dummy use to naps and bedtime rather than all-day comfort sucking can help reduce the risk.
Keeping Dummies Clean
How rigorously you need to sterilize depends on your baby’s age and health. For babies under two months, premature infants, or any baby with a weakened immune system, sterilize dummies at least once a day. You can do this by boiling them in water for five minutes, using a microwave or plug-in steam sterilizer, or soaking them in a bleach solution (two teaspoons of unscented bleach per gallon of water).
For older, healthy babies, daily sterilization becomes less critical as long as you wash the dummy thoroughly with soap and water after each use. Between washes, a quick rinse under hot water is fine for a dummy that’s fallen on a clean surface. Replace dummies regularly, checking for cracks, tears, or stickiness in the material, any of which can harbor bacteria. Latex dummies in particular degrade faster and need replacing more often than silicone ones.
Weaning Off the Dummy
Most children are ready to give up their dummy between ages two and three, which aligns with the dental research. The Canadian Dental Association recommends dummies over thumb sucking for one practical reason: you can take a dummy away, but you can’t remove a thumb. That built-in control makes weaning more manageable.
Gradual approaches tend to work better than going cold turkey. Start by limiting use to naps and bedtime only, then drop the naptime dummy, and finally phase out the bedtime one. Some parents find it helpful to let the child “trade” their dummies for a toy or mark the transition with a small ceremony. The key is consistency. Most children adjust within a few days to a week once the dummy is fully removed, though sleep may be briefly disrupted during the transition.