Dentists have issued a warning over a new trend involving adults using baby pacifiers.
Just when you thought the internet couldn't get stranger… Gen Z adults have started nursing on dummies.
As we all know, our social media generation loves nostalgia, but why have they gone ga-ga for this infant accessory?
Dummies are used as a soothing item for babies, and health experts recommend that youngsters be weaned from them between six and 12 months of age.
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Weaning is recommended before the age of two, and definitely by the age of four, as prolonged use could potentially lead to dental and speech development issues, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
However, as we can see on social media, adults with a full set of teeth have started using them again.
Online users are promoting the baby items as sleeping aids and stress relievers. After the trend exploded in China, it is now influencing several adults across the world.
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The device has reportedly raked in a jaw-dropping amount for sellers in China, with prices ranging from 10 yuan ($1.40, £1.03) to 500 yuan ($70, £51), the South China Morning Post reports.
“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 person said.
Meanwhile, others have claimed that the dummies help ease ADHD symptoms and help stop the urge to smoke.
“It gives me psychological comfort and makes me not so fidgety during my smoke cessation periods,” another person told the same publication.
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But experts are now warning those taking part in the odd trend that it could cause damage to your mouth.
“There is a reason we don’t drink out of baby bottles or suck on pacifiers as adults,” Dr. Ben Winters told The New York Post. “It wreaks havoc on swallow and bite patterns.”
According to the orthodontist, if adults keep using dummies, it could result in an 'open bite', where the top and bottom teeth don't meet when the mouth is closed.
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It usually happens because constant pacifier use puts pressure on the teeth, pushing the top ones forward or tilting the bottom ones back.
This is a huge problem for adult jaws, which are already set; however, children can often overcome this issue because their bones are still growing.
Dr. Winters warned that prolonged usage could mean adult pacifier users may need braces to fix the damage caused: "However, it’s still not the smartest cause you don’t want to go into a tongue thrust pattern."
A tongue thrust pattern is when the tongue presses forward against or between the teeth while swallowing, a natural reflex for babies, but can lead to speech and dental issues in adults.
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“These issues are exactly why we don’t use these as adults,” Winters warned. “I would not make it a habit to keep something like this in your mouth at all times.”
As for what you can use instead, experts have recommended chewing gum, fidget toys, or stress balls, or attending some therapy sessions if these self-soothing habits become more intense.
Gregory Robinson