Ever wonder how those cute plush animal pacifiers affect the teeth of young children? You might be surprised to learn that these adorable items may not be as harmless as they look. Recent research has explored this topic, though it did hit a few roadblocks.
Firstly, let's understand the idea of "force." Imagine trying to push a small toy car. It doesn't take much effort, right? Now, try to push a real car - that would require a lot more force! This is similar to how teeth move in our mouths. The researchers wanted to know how much force is needed to move baby teeth, just like we wanted to know how much force to move the toy car versus the real car. But, the scientists couldn't find any previous research to help them understand this.
However, baby teeth are much smaller than adult teeth, so the researchers guessed that moving baby teeth would need less force, just like pushing the toy car takes less force than the real one.
Now, the focus of the study was those plush animal pacifiers. The design of these pacifiers can vary a lot, from how thick they are, to how they bend, to how the toy is attached. All these differences can affect the results of the study and need to be considered in future investigations.
Additionally, in the study's experiment, they kept the plush toy at a fixed distance from the point of force (think of it like the place where you push). However, the farther the toy is from this point, the greater the force recorded. It's like pushing the car from its front versus pushing it from the side; it takes more force from the side.
So, what did they find out in the end?
- Using a machine called the Instron model 1011, scientists can guess the force that plush toy pacifiers apply.
- These plush animal pacifiers use more force than what's used in braces, which could hurt kids' face and teeth growth.
- The claims made by companies about these plush animal pacifiers should be rechecked based on these results.
- More studies should be done using special engineering tools to better understand these forces.
In short, the research suggests that these plush animal pacifiers might not be as tooth-friendly as they seem. There's still a lot more to learn, but for now, it's important to consider these findings when choosing a pacifier for a child.
Download the report here.
