Thumb sucking

Sucking and innate rooting is completely normal and common in babies.

Instinctively a baby may suck on their thumb or fingers.

Sucking helps a baby feel safe and secure. It is a natural reflex.

This is why babies will often suck their fingers, fists, thumbs or any toy as they grow and why a baby will take to a dummy.

A dummy promotes the sucking reflex. This sucking reflex generally reduces or disappears around 4- 6 months of age.

Thumb sucking is not reflexive and is believed to be a self-soothing practice after this age.

It can be estimated that as many as up to 75% of babies and toddlers suck their thumb.

Generally there are no long term effects for a child who sucks their thumb.

Most children will stop sucking their thumb around the age 2-4 years.

If it continues after much after 4 years,and the child consistently sucks their thumb it does have the potential to alter the normal growth of the jaws and cause significant misalignment of the front adult teeth as they erupt into the mouth.

This is because it does leave a child vulnerable to issues when permanent teeth come in around the age of 6 years.

It is at this point, when the permanent teeth are coming in that thumb sucking might begin to affect the roof of the mouth (palate) or how the teeth line up.

Having said that it all relates to how often, how long and how intensely the child sucked their thumb in terms of the risk of dental problems.

Therefore, it is generally accepted that there is no need to intervene and attempt to address thumb sucking until around the age of 5 or 6 years.

Well, nothing while they are young as it is considered to be too stressful for very young children but it is important to try to break the habit before their permanent teeth come in around 6 yrs.

After this age any vigorous thumb sucking can then lead to affecting how the teeth grow and can make them protrude.

It is important to be mindful when guiding the breaking of the thumb sucking habit. Patience, persistence and encouragement is key.

• Start to break the habit when the child is settled and not distressed. Such as if they are watching TV and sucking their thumb distract them with a cuddle and remove the thumb without any fuss or comment.
• Use positive reinforcement. Encourage them to stop. Set attainable goals. Perhaps do a reward chart.
• Identify the triggers. A child may suck their thumb in response to stress. Identifying the issue and proving alternative comfort will see a gradual reduction in thumb sucking.
• Offer gentle reminders. Don’t nag, scold, criticize or ridicule them.
• Don’t make them feel ‘bad’ or naughty for sucking.
• Don’t punish them for continuing to suck their thumb.
• Work on stopping the daytime sucking before the night times as it is more of a comfort thing and the night will be the last (and possibly the hardest/longest) to break.
• Sometimes paying no attention to the behaviour. A child may thumb suck as attention seeking and by paying no attention may prove effective.

If a child has consistent thumb sucking past the period of their permanent teeth coming through there is the risk of dental problems.

The potential dental issues may include:

• Protrusive upper front teeth.
• Crossbite.
• Tipped back lower front teeth.
• Open bite.