Definition
Thumb sucking is a very common behaviour which manifests in young children. It is a behaviour, not a disorder.
Thumb sucking is defined as placing the finger or thumb on the roof of the mouth behind the teeth and sucking with lips and teeth closed.
Causes
Thumb sucking is one of the first coordinated acts that an infant can do that brings comfort, pleasure and satisfies a need for extra sucking.
Babies suck their thumbs prenatally (in-utero) and sucking in general is the main source of comfort for them. However, thumb sucking that persists beyond infancy (particularly into preschool years) might suggest a situational disorder.
Consequences
Most children give up thumb sucking by age three or four. If a child continues intense thumb sucking it could lead to orthodontic problems.
However, thumb sucking is normal and does not cause serious damage until the permanent teeth begin cutting through gums at age 6 or 7. Most children have outgrown the habit by this age.
If not, parents should try eliminate the habit for the sake of appearance and dental health as it may cause protruding front teeth. Thumb sucking may put enough pressure on front teeth to move them forward eventually.
In most cases, the habit is given up spontaneously. This is especially true if it has not become an issue between parents and child.
No treatment or action is usually necessary. Methods such as punishment and reminders are usually fruitless.
Other methods also are not particularly successful (mittens, bad-tasting substances on the thumb, elbow splints) and may cause additional trauma.
For a child over six or seve who sucks the fingers or thumb:
- Give the child extra attention.
- Observe if conflicts or anxiety-producing situations provoke sucking. Help the child find other solutions to stress.
- If the child decides to try to stop sucking, help the child set goals. Give rewards for any progress toward the goal. Reward should not be seen as a bribe, but something earned through effort.
- If your child wishes to stop and behaviour-modification efforts (rewards for progress) have not solved the problem, the dentist can fit a training device in the child's mouth to prevent the thumb from touching the roof of the mouth.