Dark side of adult pacifiers: Doctors warn adults using dummies to combat stress, induce sleep
Posted on: Aug 07, 2025 12:08 IST | Posted by: Hindustantimes
A young trend in China involving adult pacifiers has sparked concerns among the medical community. Reportedly, an increasing number of adults are using this dummy item, claiming that it helps reduce stress and induce sleep. However, medical professionals have warned that using it is dangerous and can cause long-term health issues.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), adult pacifiers are described as “bigger than the baby version.” They are reportedly sold for a varied price between 10 and 500 yuan ( ₹123 and ₹6,100).
“It is high quality, soft, and I feel comfortable sucking it. It does not impede my breathing,” a buyer said, cited SCMP.
Another person claimed, “It is amazing in helping me quit smoking. It gives me psychological comfort and makes me not so fidgety during my smoke cessation periods.”
A third shared, “When I am under pressure at work, I suck on the dummy. I feel I am indulged in a sense of safety from childhood.”
“The potential damage to customers’ mouths by the pacifiers is intentionally played down by their sellers,” Tang Caomin, a dentist from Sichuan province in southwestern China, told local media, cited a SCMP report.
Caomin added that if someone uses an adult pacifier for an extended period, it can limit their ability to open their mouth and cause severe pain while chewing.
“By sucking the dummy for more than three hours a day, the position of your teeth might change after a year.”
Other doctors have also spoken out about this concerning trend. Another professional warned that there is a chance that someone using it could inhale the parts of an adult pacifier while sleeping.
A psychologist shared her opinion about the viral trend. “The real solution is not to treat themselves as a child, but to face the challenge directly and to solve it,” she said, adding that it would not help meet a person's emotional needs.
People had a lot to say on Chinese social media platforms. An individual wrote, “This world has become so mad that adults are using pacifiers.” Another joked, “Is this not a kind of stupid tax?”
Chinese social media platforms are filled with videos showing people using adult pacifiers. Some are also selling designer versions of the dummy.
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