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| Patient Education / Thumbsucking (Fingersucking) 
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"Research has clearly established the fact that thumbsucking does indeed increase the risks of dental and facial malformations. The age of the child, intensity and duration of sucking, and condition of the mouth will influence the likelihood of dental problems. Thumbsucking typically exerts pressure upward on the palate, outward on the upper front..." Source : How to Help Children With Common Problems |
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"Most toddlers naturally give up their thumb-sucking or pacifier habit by the time they're two years of age. If your toddler hasn't kicked the habit by then, you'll you'll want to encourage him to do so as soon as possible... the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and the Tokyo Dental College found that sucking a thumb, finger, or pacifier beyond age two increases the likelihood that a child will develop protruding front teeth or a crossbite ..." Source : The Mother of All Toddler Books |
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"By the time the permanent teeth come in, thumbsucking carries the danger of causing an overbite. Dentists have a variety of approaches to thumbsucking. By the time a child is 7 or 8, dentists can place a reminder bar in the upper mouth that interferes with the ability to suck...." Source : Your Child's Health : The Parents' Guide to Symptoms, Emergencies, Common Illnesses, Behavior, and School Problems |
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"Digit sucking can cause proclination of the upper and retroclination of the lower incisors, but in a growing child this will resolve once habit is stopped unless maintained by adverse soft tissue activity..." Source : Oxford Handbook of Clinical Dentistry |
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"Is thumb-sucking bad for my daughter's teeth? It is normal for children to suck their thumb, fingers, or a pacifier. Most children give up sucking on thumbs, fingers, and pacifiers between the ages of 2 and 4, with no harm done to their teeth..." Source : American Medical Association Complete Guide to Your Children's Health |
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"If your baby needs extra comfort from sucking to fall asleep, help her find her thumb or give her a pacifier. Many children suck their thumbs and fingers for comfort while falling asleep and at no other time..." Source : American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child's Sleep: Birth Through Adolescence |
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"According to the American Dental Association, there is little reason to fear that thumb or finger sucking will harm a baby's teeth or jaws. It shouldn't be a matter of concern unless the child is three or four years old and sucking with a great deal of pressure on the jaws..." Source : First Year Baby Care : Revised Edition |
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