According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, thumb, finger, and pacifier sucking habits are normal for babies and young children. It helps soothe children and makes them feel secure. Children with this habit do it to calm themselves when they are hungry, bored, sleepy, or afraid. I have even seen ultrasound pictures of infants sucking their fingers in their mother's womb.
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| 18 week ultrasound showing thumb sucking |
While many children will stop their thumb, finger or pacifier habit on their own (between the ages of 2 and 4 years), others may continue for several years.
The questions I get from most of my patient's parents are: "Will this habit harm my child's teeth?" "At what age should they stop" and "How do I get my child to stop?"
Q: "Will this habit harm my child's teeth?"
A: Unfortunately a prolonged habit of sucking fingers or a pacifier can have negative effects. The pressure or suction from the habit may cause the child's teeth to come in crooked or flare outward. In some cases, the roof of the mouth may become malformed or narrow. Children can also have problems with speech such as a lisp or difficulty pronouncing sounds such as "T or "D". Others may develop a tongue thrust while talking.
Q: "At what age should children stop their habit?"
A: As mentioned earlier, usually if children are able to stop their sucking habit by age 3 or 4 they are not at risk for speech or dental problems. Children who wait until later to stop may need orthodontic treatment to correct their bite.
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| Full face photo of child with thumb sucking habit |
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| Intraoral photo of same child with habit |
Q: "How do I get my child to stop?"
A: Parents and the dentist can help encourage a child to stop their habit by explaining the consequences of sucking their finger, thumb, or pacifier. If this does not work, the dentist can suggest ways to help change the child's behavior. My oldest daughter used a pacifier until she was three and then only at bedtime. I spoke with her several times about how the pacifier was affecting her teeth. She finally agreed to stop when I bribed her with a new toy in exchange for throwing her pacifiers away. I will admit, she cried after she realized her pacifier was in the trash can, but when I told her she could have it back if we took the toy back to the store she kept the toy and never looked back.
Some of my patients have had success breaking their habit by using a thumbguard or fingerguard for a few weeks. According to the thumbguard website; This flexible plastic device fits over the finger or thumb and "prevents a seal from being created around the thumb with the lips. Without this seal, there is no suction, which is the primary source of pleasure in thumb sucking."
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry also recommends using an ACE bandage for night-time finger sucking habits. This combined with encouragement and rewards from parents over a period of 6 weeks has been shown to be helpful.
In rare cases, a child over 5 years old may have a thumb or finger sucking habit due to an emotional problem like anxiety. These children may need to be evaluated by a physician. If you or someone you know has a child with a thumb, finger, or pacifier habit, contact your dentist for advice and support.
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