Adults are swapping stress balls for baby pacifiers, and dentists say the bizarre fad could wreck your smile.
A self-soothing trend that took off in China is now gaining traction in the US, with grown-ups sucking on oversized pacifiers marketed as sleep aids and anxiety relievers.
“There’s a reason we don’t drink from bottles or suck on pacifiers as adults,” orthodontist Dr. Ben Winters, creator of the oral care brand Something Nice, told The New York Post. “It wreaks havoc on swallow and bite patterns.”
Despite the warnings, demand is booming. Sellers report moving thousands of adult pacifiers each month, with prices ranging anywhere from $1.40 to $70, according to the South China Morning Post.
