Can a toddler using a dummy delay their speech?

[Babydevelopment1]

Can a toddler using a dummy delay their speech? My 18 month old uses his dummy an awful lot, and I have been told by the public health nurse to get rid of it!

Well unless my 2 year old is a genius then I wouldn't say so

She has had a dummy since she was 6 weeks and is the biggest chatter box going. Can recite all the nursery rhymes and christmas songs. Clearly asks what she wants and forms sentences (sometimes says things which i didn't know she had learnt)

I do encourage her to take the dummy out during the day or when asking for things. I have also encouraged clear queens English, so I try not to use slang or baby talk with her.

Yes it can do. The sucking of the dummy over-strengthens muscles at the back of the mouth making it difficult to make sounds from the front of the mouth

I didn't realise this! I knew dummies could cause speech delay but I thought that's just if they used them in the daytime as it prevents proper babbling. My son only uses his dummy for night time... the overseeing muscles things has me worried! I guess using a dummy for night sleep is bad too?

It tends to affect pronunciation (which I assume is what we mean hear by speech), as if they have a dummy in their mouth they are unable to babble and hence practice as much as a baby without a dummy.