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The dental dangers of sippy cups, pacifiers, and thumb-sucking

Oct. 3, 2023
Like many parents, Barbara Tritz says she followed the trends of the time when it came to bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups. She regrets that now, and wants parents to know about the consequences for their children.

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.

About the Author

Barbara Tritz, MSB, BSDATE, BRDH

Barbara Tritz, MSB, BSDATE, BRDH, is a practicing biological dental hygienist at Green City Dental in Edmonds, Washington. She is the owner of Washington Oral Wellness in Kirkland, Washington, where she practices orofacial myofunctional therapy. She completed her accreditation in biological dental hygiene through the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, and is laser certified through the Academy of Laser Dentistry. In 2019 Barbara received the HuFriedy-American Dental Hygienist Association Master Clinician Award. Barbara can be contacted at [email protected].