Baby Dental, Pacifier Vs Thumb Sucking for Babies.
For infants and young children it is normal for them to suck on thumbs, fingers and pacifiers. They do so for pleasure, comfort and security. Most children will stop on their own. Yet if a child has not stop, then the habit should be discouraged after age three.
With regards to the debate pacifier versus thumb sucking the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) sides with pacifiers over thumb sucking to comfort new babies. This is because pacifiers habits is easier to break at an earlier age then thumb sucking. The earlier a sucking habit is stopped the less chance the habit will lead to future orthodontic needs.
