In a world where productivity injunctions rub shoulders with permanent hyperconnection, appeasement strategies are sometimes surprisingly regressive. While relaxation techniques swarm, certain unexpected practices reappear, carried by social networks and an omnipresent need for comfort. The growing popularity of adult teats, far from anecdotal, questions our relationship to stress, childhood and emotional compensation mechanisms.
The fashion for adult teats emerged in China before being powered international thanks to Tiktok, where some videos reach several million views. We discover influencers there that display their pacifier as a self-care accessory, praising its supposed benefits on falling asleep or smoking cessation. For the doctor and researcher Tayeb Hamdi, this return to objects related to childhood reflects a deep emotional need. Questioned by the morning, he recalls that confinement marked a break for many adults, causing a need for comfort in the face of a reality perceived as unstable.
Adult teats, a threat underestimated for oral health
If the practice may seem harmless, the effects on dental health are far from negligible. According to Liberation, the French Orthodontics Federation recently published an alert press release in which it expresses its great concern. It describes concrete risks linked to repeated suction in adults, including dental alignment disorders, accelerated wear of the enamel or an excessive protrusion of the upper teeth.
The repetition of the gesture also leads to a change in swallowing and a constant tension at the jaw. According to the FFO, these deformations no longer be corrected naturally in adulthood and may require heavy orthodontic apparatus. The HuffPost, which has echoed this warning, stresses that these objects are often sold without any medical validation, while they are presented as well-being accessories.
Far from being therapeutic, the pacifier thus becomes an aggravating factor of oral pathologies already frequent in young adults, especially in smokers or stressed people who urge the teeth in an involuntarily. Specialists agree that no scientific evidence confirms the beneficial effects of this practice on sleep or anxiety management.
A trivial object with cascade effects
Beyond the teeth, the whole body can suffer from a regular use of the pacifier. Indeed, the collateral effects are numerous and often neglected. For example, we observe cervical pain caused by a leaning posture. In addition, the temporomandibular articulation can be disturbed, causing persistent tensions. The risks also include digestive infections or oral yeast infections when hygiene remains insufficient. Finally, some materials such as latex or silicone sometimes trigger allergic reactions. They can irritate the skin, especially around the lips and the mouth.
The danger does not only reside in the object, but in the repetition of the gesture and the emotional attachment it can generate. TF1 Info recalls that this trend reveals a form of prolonged infantilization, nourished by an increasingly inclined company to seek reassuring regressions. Addiction is not only physical, it becomes behavioral, with a risk of isolation or social discomfort when the object leaves the private framework.
Psychiatrist Christine Dubois goes further by evoking a possible shift towards fetish practices or forms of deep psychological avoidance. For her, it is a self -efficient mechanism, which is certainly effective in the short term, but not very sustainable over time. What could appear as a simple gadget is then revealed as the discreet but significant symptom of a contemporary emotional fragility, in front of which professionals still struggle to structure suitable responses.
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
