Pediatric Dentistry – Westerly, Rhode IslandQ. Is a pacifier better than a thumb habit?
A. A pacifier is better than a thumb habit. The main advantage of a pacifier is that if you can get your child to use one, your child usually won’t be a thumb sucker. Thumb sucking can cause a severe overbite if continued after the permanent teeth come in. The pacifier exerts less pressure on the teeth and causes much less overbite than the thumb. In addition, the use of the pacifier can be controlled, as your child grows older. You can determine when he can and can not have it. You do not have this control with a thumb.
