Binky Belief

No parent wants his or her kid to suffer through a trip to the orthodontist because of a malocclusion overbite brought on by prolonged use of a pacifier. But some say the comfort it provides is worth it. Can Christians be guilty of too much faith thumb-sucking?

Dominique Saponari, now 9, has a certificate in her bedroom that proclaims that the child has sent her binky to Binky Land.

It was a long time coming. When she was 5, Dominique had to visit the orthodontist who announced that she had a serious malocclusion overbite caused by sucking on a pacifier which molded her teeth around the binky and pushed the teeth forward and upward.

Her mother came up with a book idea that her brother followed up on. The 10-page book, The Story of Binky Land, written by William Post, chronicles the adventures of Binky Bonnie and Binky Bob and offers parents cool ways to nudge their child to a binky-free life.

Not all dentists are binky Nazis. They argue that the comfort and emotional security gained far outweigh the potential dental problems.

But there are other problems with pacifiers. They can get lost and cause an emotional disturbance — or tantrum — until they’re found.

They can be unsafe if the parts are not attached properly. Some binkies can be choking...