: Pacifier use for very mouthy baby My 9 month old baby is pretty much addicted to his pacifier, and I kind of worry about if I should set some limits to pacifier use - like, he is starting to say a couple of recognizable words,

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We were pacifier-free by nine months; I don't remember exactly when but it was a bit before that I think. The daycare we went to was very supportive and required pacifier-free children before they moved up to the one year old room, which was nice as it meant no other pacifiers to confuse things.
It's generally considered easier to remove the younger you do so; in fact, nine months is a bit late in that regard - they start getting attached to it, which can make it harder to remove. There is also some evidence that pacifiers may lead to ear infections in older children - from that link above:

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend limiting or stopping pacifier use around 6 months to avoid an increased risk of ear infections, especially if your child is prone to them.

As far as mouthing things goes, that's a normal baby thing and nothing to worry about. They might be teething, or they might just be feeling their environment with one of the tools they have available to them! If he is teething, you could try a partly frozen washcloth or a frozen teething ring that can help numb his gums; it's certainly possible at that age.