Should I worry if my baby sucks his or her thumb?

No. Thumb-suckers are using a healthy, built-in mechanism to soothe themselves. It's a natural self-comforting inclination that some babies are born with, and it's no cause for worry or alarm.

Does thumb-sucking cause dental problems?

Experts agree that for babies, this isn't a risk. The American Dental Association says most children can safely suck their thumb – without damaging the alignment of their teeth or jaws – until their permanent teeth begin to appear. (Permanent teeth don't usually erupt until around age 6.)

Are pacifiers a better choice than thumb-sucking?

Pacifiers are another good way for babies to self-soothe, but they're not necessarily better: Your baby may learn to depend on you to retrieve his or her pacifier if it drops out of the crib, for instance, and it may become lost or dirty. On the plus side, babies usually outgrow pacifiers well before they pose a risk to dental health. Some babies actually reject the "paci" in favor of the thumb, so if that's the case, you don't have an either-or choice – your baby has made it for you.

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