Thumb / finger sucking is a form of a self-soothing oral habit which is common in early childhood. Extended bottle use or dummy sucking can also fall into this category. Many children engage in these habits, however they usually grow out of them naturally, or are encouraged to stop by their parents. When these habits are short term there are no negative impacts.
However, if children continue with these habits for longer periods this can impact their dental outcomes. Which can then lead to issues with speech patterns and swallowing. For example a lisp (difficulty pronouncing ‘s’ sound). It can also impact the development of verbal language.
Research has shown that continuing oral sucking habits for over 2 years can lead to negative dental outcomes. Specifically, use of a dummy for longer than 3 years has been found to cause changes to the shape of the hard palate. These changes in dentition also alter the lip and tongue patterns, which can impact speech development. So, it is good to make a plan to help your child to stop these habits around 3 years old. The best approach is a behavioural one – rewarding them when they are not sucking their thumb/using a dummy with an incentive that motivates them.
If you continue to see these habits in your child for longer than this or have any concerns it is best to see your local dentist or book a speech pathology assessment. Treatment involves a multidisciplinary team including a dentist to correct changes to the position of the teeth, and a speech pathologist. The good news is that treatment has been shown to have good long-term outcomes when this multidisciplinary approach is used.
