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@Doodlesmama: My son just turned two and I feel like I'm always asking the pediatrician about this. He doesn't see a problem with it.
DS only sucks his thumb when he's sleepy.
I know DH was a thumbsucker until at least 7 (! I have photographic evidence!). If that's what he needs to self-soothe, so be it. I feel like same as you, I'd rather him be able to do that that any other hair-twisting, scratching, head-banging, etc., behavior.

I have 2 thumbsuckers....I'm kinda nervous about our first dentist appointment.

The problem isn't only the teeth but the thumb suckking habit actually changes the shape of the palatal bone which can make correction very difficult and can change the shape of a child's profile, etc.

We have a thumb sucker who is 19 months. I can't believe your dentist told you to stop it immediately! My husband was a thumb sucker until 6 and while he had braces, he had no long term damage to his teeth.

Someone once told me that peer pressure will get them to quit one day. Another (mean) child will call them a baby for sucking their thumb and that will help them learn to stop.

I told myself I would never take drastic steps to stop her. As she gets older and finds new soothing techniques, we'll help her remove her thumb during the day. For now, she's still so young, I'm not worrying about it.

Is thumb sucking worse than pacifiers?

Our dentist said 3.5 for pacifiers

@Mamaof2: at least in patients I see thumb sucking can create a pretty severe open bite compared to pacifiers. Pacifiers will do the same thing eventually, and I also think it's the amount of pressure and time they have either in their mouth.

It's not going to happen to every child, but it has the possibility to so I recommend trying to curb the habit when you can. I'm not saying to traumatize your kid, put positive reinforcement is not a bad idea.

I was constantly asking our dentist about DD's thumb sucking and he didn't see a problem with it. Since about 18m she only sucked it during nap/at night unless he was really upset or uncomfortable. If we told her to stop sucking it she would. We finally broke her of the habit at 3.5yo.