Pacifiers have long been regarded as bad with respect to misaligning Baby’s teeth or changing the shape of his mouth. However, a recent study published in the January/February issue of “General Dentistry” shows that using a pacifier might reduce the occurrence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Doctors are not yet sure why, but they suspect it could help keep the airway open, as well as prevent Baby from rolling over onto his face, or strengthen the muscles of the upper airway. “The important thing to note is that none of the potential downsides of using a pacifier are life-threatening,” says Luke Matranga, DDS, with the Academy of General Dentistry. Matranga advises using the pacifier after the first month, when nursing has been well-established, and giving it to Baby only when he is going to sleep. Also, he suggests start weaning the child off of it by age 2.