Hi Pamela,
ahhhh I posted the same question last week. I tried to ween Liana off the dummy last week, as she too is not sleeping at the moment due to a lost dummy. I was surprised at how easily she did go to sleep without it, it only took 5 minutes of a slight grizzle and she was off to sleep. The next sleep was the same. I thought I'd achieved my goal!!! pppfffttt who I was kidding???? at the night sleep she lost it completely...... So she got her dummy back.
I decided that she only has it now for her sleep (it stays in her cot, and she spits it out if it's still in her mouth when I pick her up). Sometimes she will only have it for 10 mins whilst she settles. Some of my friends have told me they have babies that have always had a dummy to settle and they sleep straight through the night. So I'm a bit like you, in some ways I want to ween and see if Liana will sleep without it. Or let her have it and see if starting solids will stretch her for a few extra hours of sleep at night.
it's all a 'try it and see'
Kez
Kerryn, SA, baby girl 20/11/03