But will this affect their teeth? The good news is that, used with care, there should be no long-term effect on your child’s teeth.

There are a few simple guidelines to follow.

• Never dip the dummy in sugary foods and drinks, such as jam, honey, syrup or concentrated fruit juice, as this can cause rapid tooth decay.
• Don’t allow dummies to be shared with other children as it will spread germs from one to another.
• Don’t put the dummy in your mouth to clean it – the bacteria in your mouth may be harmless to you, but not necessarily a small baby.
• Keep the dummy clean. For small babies, they should be sterilised according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Worn dummies may damage the inside of your child’s mouth, so make sure that worn dummies are replaced.
• Check that it has a safety approval rating and that there are no small parts that may break off and cause injury.

It is advisable for your child to stop sucking their dummy or thumb before their second teeth come through, to avoid pushing the teeth out of line.

You can discourage dummy use gradually:

• Gently remove the dummy when your child goes to sleep.
• Don’t nag the child to give it up – occasional good-humoured comments may be more productive.
• Wean the child off the dummy gradually – taking it away abruptly may encourage other habits like finger sucking, and it is traumatic for the child.
• Give lots of hugs and praise for managing without the dummy – try a motivator sheet.
• Encourage your child to leave the dummy behind when going to pre-school.
• Speak to your dentist for more ideas on how to stop the habit.

If giving up the dummy is a problem, your health visitor may be able to give more help and advice