Thumb Sucking

Excerpt

Thumb sucking is a behavior that can be grouped under a list of habits known as non–nutritive sucking habits. Within this group, we can also find the use of pacifiers, blankets, or sucking on other fingers as a comforting behavior. Thumb-sucking has been considered an activity that serves as an adaptive function by providing stimulation or self-soothing.

Non-nutritive sucking habits are common in young children, and as they grow older, they tend to stop them. In most cases, this habit ceases spontaneously between 2 and 4 years of age.

Nevertheless, if thumb sucking continues, negative consequences can occur, such as a deformity of the nail or paronychia. If the habit persists while the permanent dentition is erupting, malocclusion can occur. This condition can be managed with different approaches, from parental and patient advice, fitting a dental appliance, or behavior modification techniques such as positive reinforcement, calendar with rewards, and counseling, among others.

Clinicians must be aware of the non-nutritive sucking habits, including thumb-sucking and their negative impact on oral health, as well as the complications that can arise with them. Referral to a pediatric dentist to evaluate dental complications can be considered when the non-nutritive sucking habits persist beyond the 4 years of age despite appropriate behavioral interventions.