Children and Thumbsucking

Most children suck their thumbs or fingers at some time in their early life, but most stop by age six or seven months. The American Dental Association (ADA) reports that some eighty-five percent to ninety-nine percent of children stop thumb sucking on their own before the age of five.

Parents frequently worry about their child's thumb sucking behavior, but in young children, it's a normal and healthy behavior. The need to suck is instinctual in all infants, and studies show that more than seventy-five percent of infants suck their thumbs or fingers. Children most commonly suck their thumbs when they're tired, bored, or in need of comfort.

The ADA's view on thumb sucking is that the behavior won't cause permanent problems with a child's tooth positions or jaw growth unless it is continued beyond four to five years of age. After this, thumb sucking may affect the shape of your child's mouth, palate, teeth and the relationship between the upper and lower jaws. The severity of these problems depends on the frequency, intensity and duration of the thumb sucking. The position in which the thumb is placed in the mouth is also a factor. A child who continues thumb sucking into the years when he or she starts school or kindergarten may be subjected to teasing by their peers.

A child who is still sucking his thumb by age five, when permanent teeth start coming in, should be encouraged to stop the behavior. However, it's important that your child be willing to give up thumb sucking or finger sucking. Pressure to stop before he or she is ready may lead to resistance and lack of cooperation.

Reminders such as putting a band-aid on the thumb will help your child break the habit on his or her own. Painting something that tastes bad on your child's thumb is one method of discouraging the behavior, the one probably used by your parents if you were a thumb sucker. Commercial products are available for this purpose, and some parents have had success with pickle juice or vinegar. You may have to change products frequently, however, as the taste for even something that tastes bad initially can be acquired. (Remember your first taste of coffee?) If the behavior is seen during sleep, puttingsomething like a sock or a thumb guard on at night will help. Placing a popsicle stick on the inside of the elbow will prevent your child from bending the elbow to get to the thumb or fingers. A wrist band can be used to keep it in place.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) supports the individualized approach of evaluating each child's oral habits. Where appropriate, AAPD encourages interventions for non-nutritive sucking habits to prevent or intercept possible malocclusion (improper alignment of the jaws and teeth) or skeletal dysplasia from occurring. Your dentist or orthodontist can help with a habit appliance and other techniques.

Most importantly, give your child attention and understanding and gently discourage the habit. Reward him or her for remembering not to suck their thumb and for making progress in stopping.

The most important point to remember is that thumb sucking does not signal an emotional problem in your child. It is a normal behavior that only needs to be discontinued if the health of your child's teeth and mouth are at risk.