Sucking is a natural reflex. Infants and young children may use thumbs, fingers, pacifiers and other objects on which to suck. It may make them feel secure and happy or provide a sense of security at difficult periods. Since thumb sucking is relaxing, it may also induce sleep.
However, thumb sucking that continues beyond the eruption of permanent teeth may cause problems with the proper growth of one's mouth and tooth alignment. The intensity with which a child sucks on fingers or thumbs will determine whether or not dental problems may result. Children who rest their thumbs passively in their mouths are less likely to have difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs.
Children should cease thumb sucking by the time their permanent front teeth are ready to erupt. Usually, children stop between 2-4 years of age. Peer pressure causes many school-aged children to stop.
Pacifiers are no substitute for thumb sucking. They can affect the teeth essentially the same way as sucking fingers and thumbs. However, use of the pacifier can be controlled and modified more easily than the thumb or finger habit. If you have concerns about thumb sucking or use of a pacifier, consult with the Holdbrook Pediatric Dental team.
A few suggestions to help your child get through thumb sucking:
- Praise the children when they are not sucking instead of scolding them when they are sucking
- Focus on correcting the cause of anxiety since children often suck their thumbs when feeling insecure
- Provide comfort as children who are sucking for comfort will feel less of a need to do so
- Reward children when they refrain from sucking during difficult periods, such as when being separated from their parents
- Encourage children to stop sucking and as a pediatric dentist to explain what may happen if they continue
If these approaches don't work, remind children of their habit by bandaging the thumb or putting a sock on the hand at night. A pediatric dentist may also recommend the use of a mouth appliance.
Recommended reading:
Harold's Hideaway Thumb (ISBN: 067179602X)
- by Harriet Sonnenschein, Jurg Obnzt (Illustrator), Jurg Obrist (Illustrator)
David Decides About Thumbsucking (ISBN: 0961478020)
- A Story For Children, a Guide for Parents - By Susan Heitler, Ph.D., Paula Singer (Photographer)
