Adult pacifier trend can ‘wreak havoc’ on mouth, dentist warns

This trend might come back to bite you.

Dentists are gritting their teeth over a bizarre new fad that has adults popping pacifiers like babies, as the self-soothing practice popular in China begins to take hold in the US.

“There is a reason we don’t drink out of baby bottles or suck on pacifiers as adults,” Dr. Ben Winters, an orthodontist and creator of Something Nice oral care brand, told The Post. “It wreaks havoc on swallow and bite patterns.”

But what’s got grown-ups going ga-ga over beefed-up binkies anyway?

The silicone soothers are being pitched as sleep aids and stress relievers — and they’re flying off the shelves.

Some online sellers reportedly move thousands of adult pacifiers every month, with prices ranging from a bargain 10 yuan ($1.40) to a jaw-dropping 500 yuan ($70), according to the South China Morning Post.

“When I am under pressure at work, I suck on the dummy. I feel I am indulged in a sense of safety from childhood,” one user told the outlet. 

Others swear the pacifiers have helped ease ADHD symptoms, support weight loss and even curb the urge to smoke.

“It gives me psychological comfort and makes me not so fidgety during my smoke cessation periods,” another buyer told the SCMP.

Dental drama

But experts warn this habit is anything but soothing for your mouth — and could cause serious trouble for both your smile and your wallet.

“If we keep sucking on pacifiers and baby bottles into adulthood, you get what is called an open bite,” Winters explained.

That’s dental speak for when your upper and lower front teeth don’t touch when you close your jaw. This often happens because the constant pressure from sucking on a pacifier pushes the upper teeth forward or tilts the lower teeth inward, throwing your natural bite out of whack.

While young children can often bounce back because their bones are still growing, adults face a tougher problem since their jaw structure is already set.

“This will then need braces to fix,” Winters cautioned, but if you kick the habit early enough, he said there’s still a chance your bite can bounce back.

“However, it’s still not the smartest cause you don’t want to go into a tongue thrust pattern,” he said.

That’s when the tongue pushes forward against or between your teeth while swallowing — a baby reflex that helps latch and suck during feeding, but can cause serious dental and speech problems in adults.

“These issues are exactly why we don’t use these as adults,” Winters said. “I would not make it a habit to keep something like this in your mouth at all times.”

Craving calm without the risk?

Experts recommend chewing gum, fidget toys and stress balls — all great for keeping your mind busy and your teeth safe.

Psychologists also urge users to seek mental health support to tackle the deeper issues driving them toward these self-soothing habits.

“Instead of masking anxiety, adults should focus on confronting and addressing the root causes for lasting mental well-being,” said Dr. Hamilton Gaiani, chief medical officer at FirePit Health, a telehealth platform.

Exercise, hobbies and relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing can also give your mental health a boost without messing up your bite.

“They might help with stress for a little while, but using them too much can cause problems,” added Allen Zhang, dental tech leader and CEO of ProDENT. “It’s better to try other ways to manage stress and see your dentist regularly to keep your teeth healthy.”