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.