The Air Force Safety Center is a Field Operating Agency with headquarters at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
The Finnish researchers are unsure why the use of a pacifier might lead to an ear infection, but theorized it may have something to do with the change in pressure equilibrium inside the ear caused by the sucking.
Your child's mouth is so malleable that whatever change a pacifier may cause in the palate and teeth could correct itself. If your child continues to use the paci into toddlerhood, it can lead to malocclusion (when the teeth don't align properly), such as an open bite in the front or a cross bite in the back.