Thumb and finger sucking is one of the most common habits during childhood. It can begin by the age of 3 months. It is normal for an infant up to the age of 2 to want to suck.

Children may enjoy this habit. One in every 8 children (aged 7-11 years) have a prolonged digit sucking habit. Girls are more likely to be prolonged digit suckers than boys.

Dummy habits tend to stop before the adult teeth appear at age 6.

If the thumb or finger sucking continues beyond the age of 7, when the adult teeth start to appear, problems with the position of the teeth may occur.

There are 2 possible reasons:

• The habit provides comfort and security to the child.
• It is a learned behaviour.

Infants have a natural sucking urge that can persist after breast or bottle feeding. This urge is satisfied with dummy or thumb/ finger sucking.

No. What happens to the teeth depends on:

• How often they suck their thumb/ finger.
• How hard they suck their thumb/ finger.
• The age the child stops the habit.

If the child sucks their thumb for more than 6 hours per day or night, this may cause problems with their teeth.

• A vertical gap between the front teeth (anterior open bite) may develop – this is more likely to happen with children with a sucking habit. This can make biting certain foods difficult.
• The upper front teeth may stick out.
• The upper jaw may narrow, causing the back teeth not to meet in the correct position. This is known as cross bite.

The habit is not easy to stop as the child enjoys it. It must stop during the day before it will stop at nighttime.

The child must want to stop the habit.

You can try the following:

• Encourage your child. Use a wall chart and daily reward system to help the child to stop the habit.
• Praise your child for not sucking their thumb. Give daily encouragement.
• Avoid nagging, teasing, punishing or shaming the child. Be positive. Build up their self-esteem.
• Use a reminder or physical barrier such as an elastoplast, bandag, cotton glove, sock, thumbguard or a bitter tasting paint-on nail varnish.

Your dentist/ orthodontist can offer advice about thumb sucking.

They may also discuss the use of a “habit breaker” dental appliance, which makes thumb sucking more difficult. There may be a charge for the service.

If a sucking habit stops by the age of 7 then the teeth can often correct themselves with normal growth.

If the habit continues beyond the age of 7, then the position of the adult teeth can be permanently affected and self-correction is less likely to occur.

The child may require complex orthodontic treatment (braces) in the future to attempt to correct the tooth position.

However, orthodontic treatment cannot be started until the habit has completely stopped. This is because the treatment is unlikely to be effective.

Dummy (pacifier) sucking can also move the baby teeth. Dummies appear to cause fewer problems as this habit normally stops before the adult teeth appear at age 7.

A dummy habit is easier to stop than a thumb/ finger habit. Child who use a dummy are less likely to become thumb or finger suckers.

Any further questions – please ask your dentist or orthodontist.

For further information, please go to www.safekids.co.uk or www.kidsbehaviour.co.uk.

For more information about orthodontics, please visit the British Orthodontic Society website, www.bos.org.uk.