Sucking on fingers or thumbs is healthy and normal when children are very young. Most children stop somewhere between two and four years of age.
However in many children, sucking a dummy, thumb or finger can cause changes to the teeth and jaws. The younger the age at which a child stops, the more likely their teeth and jaws will correct the growth problems naturally. If children are still sucking their dummy, thumb or finger when their adult teeth come through there is a much higher risk of permanent changes to the growth of the teeth and jaws.
Long-time thumb-sucking may lead to:
Depending on your child’s age and ability, you might like to:
If these approaches don’t work, you could ask your pharmacist about paint on solutions that deter finger or thumb sucking. You can also ask your dentist for advice.