Many young children suck their thumb or fingers as it can be a very comforting behaviour that can help soothe them to sleep, or which simply keeps them occupied when they’re feeling a bit bored. It’s estimated that about 75% of young children will begin sucking their thumb or their fingers before they reach the age of one.

Thumb sucking isn’t so much of a problem with very young children, and most soon grow out of this behaviour. However it can become more of a problem if the habit persists when their permanent teeth begin erupting. By this stage most children will have quit thumb sucking, and only 20% will continue sucking their thumb past the age of seven.

Dental Problems Associated with Sucking Thumbs or Fingers

If the problem does persist beyond this page then it is quite likely to create dental problems, and is something that we do see occurring in younger patients who visit Leeds City Dentalcare. The action of sucking a thumb or finger can lead to the upper teeth becoming pushed outwards, while the action of resting a thumb or finger on the lower teeth can gradually pushed them backwards. This can result in the child developing an abnormal bite that would eventually require orthodontics in Leeds City Dentalcare. Another thing to bear in mind about the problems created through thumb sucking is that it can make it difficult for a child to enunciate S sounds clearly. Prolonged thumb sucking can also create calluses on the thumbs or fingers, or may result in the skin on these fingers becoming chapped and sore.

Helping Your Child to Stop Thumb sucking

If you want to help your child break the habit of sucking their thumb and then there are various things you can do, but it’s important to make sure they are involved in the process, and that you reward any progress they make. These include making a progress chart that can be filled in by you both, and letting your child pick out some colourful stickers that can be added when they have managed to go a certain length of time without sucking their thumb. Some slip ups are inevitable, so include your child in the discussions as to how many are allowed within a given timeframe.

Thumb sucking can be quite a tricky habit to eliminate, and if your child is having a lot of difficulty then you may want to purchase some of the bitter tasting liquid used to stop nail biting. It is important to praise your child for their progress and to continue positively reinforcing their new behaviour. Another thing that can be helpful is to be aware of anything that triggers thumb sucking, and to try to eliminate these triggers or to replace them with something more appropriate. It can take several weeks of concerted effort to help your child break this habit, but it is well worth the effort.

If thumb sucking becomes prolonged or ingrained that it can become even more difficult to quit this habit, and it’s something that some people will continue doing well into adult hood. It can lead to the teeth becoming more overcrowded or crooked, and this can increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. These are conditions that will require treatment from Dr David Brown or another dentist in Leeds, and gum disease in particular can be particularly harmful to oral health and general health.