In her practice at Metro Dentalcare in Burnsville, Minnesota, pediatric dentist Dr. Deanna Alevizos treats oral health issues and dental injuries. Dr. Deanna Alevizos also routinely advises parents about thumb-sucking.
Seventy-five percent of infants under age 1 suck their thumbs. It comforts and entertains children, and should not be taken as an indication of emotional issues.
Experts say parents of children under 5 should not push them to stop thumb-sucking. However, it can become problematic at 5, when they enter kindergarten. Children often avoid thumb-suckers and tease them.
Continued thumb-sucking can deform the bite of permanent teeth. Children may have difficulty making the “s” and other sounds formed on the tip of the tongue. It may also lead to chapped skin, infected fingernails, and calluses.
Parents should monitor the habit. Thumb-sucking only at bedtime and among family is less serious than when done at school or with friends.
Most children eventually want to stop, so parents should avoid chastising them or pulling their thumbs out of the mouths. Doing so, experts say, only brings on a power struggle.
