Pediatric
Thumb sucking
Thumb sucking is a natural habit in babies and young children, and it can affect how teeth and the mouth grow if it lasts too long.
Sucking is a natural reflex. The ADA says sucking on thumbs, fingers, or pacifiers may make babies feel secure and happy and help them learn about their world. Most children stop on their own. The ADA says that after adult teeth come in, sucking may cause problems with proper growth of the mouth and alignment of the teeth, and it can change the roof of the mouth. How hard the child sucks matters too. Praise and gentle reminders usually work better than scolding. If the habit continues past the age adult teeth arrive, talk with your child's dentist. See pacifier habit and malocclusion, or our page on dentistry for kids.