Are Pacifiers Good For Baby?
"It is better to suck the pacifier than the thumb because you can get rid of the pacifier," said William Vann, a pediatric dentist at the University of North Carolina.
Dr. Vann notes that both the pacifier and thumb can lead to tooth troubles, but says thumb-sucking is a much tougher habit to kick. "You can't get rid of the thumb. It's there, and a lot of children suck subconsciously at night while they are sleeping and that is a very difficult habit to break," he said.
Vann points to research out of Scandinavia that shows a push towards the pacifier greatly reduced the number of thumb-suckers. He hopes the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsement will trigger the same trend here. "I'm really optimistic we can, over a 25-year time horizon, greatly reduce thumb-sucking in the United States with this new philosophy."
Dr. Vann is quick to point out that pediatric dentists who are pro-pacifier, support limited use, holding off until a baby is a month old to help promote breastfeeding, and stopping soon after the first year. At that point, notes Dr. Vann, the SIDS pacifier protection is no longer needed and research suggests beyond a year, the binky may increase the risk of ear infections and later the risk of tooth troubles.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry doesn't have a formal pacifier or thumb-sucking policy. The group promotes an individualized approach for each child in evaluating the oral habits.
