{"id":52,"date":"2023-01-20T00:19:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T00:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthykidsdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=52"},"modified":"2025-04-18T19:54:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T19:54:32","slug":"how-serious-is-thumb-sucking-on-your-childs-oral-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthykidsdentistry.com\/blog\/how-serious-is-thumb-sucking-on-your-childs-oral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"How Serious is Thumb-Sucking on Your Child\u2019s Oral Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As a parent, there are things you can naturally expect from your child. An avoidance of vegetables. Fights with siblings. And sucking their thumbs! This habit is an innate reflex that 90% of infants develop within two hours after being born. While it is perfectly normal to use this as a self-soothing tool until they are a toddler, thumb-sucking has the potential to negatively affect your child\u2019s oral development if allowed to persist for too long. Read on to learn more about thumb sucking and your little one\u2019s precious growing smile<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Does Thumb-Sucking Impact Oral Development?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned before, thumb sucking is a natural reflex that many experts believe acts as a means of self-comfort. In most cases, babies and toddlers who partake in this habit are very unlikely to negatively impact their oral development. Children usually grow out of sucking their thumbs between the ages of two and four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the age of four, key parts of your little one\u2019s mouth and jaws begin to develop. If they are still sucking on their thumb by the age of five or six, or if their finger sucking is aggressive and involves a lot of jaw movement, this once harmless habit can begin to cause long-term complications. The extra pressure can significantly influence how their mouth forms, leading to issues like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n