Finger sucking, commonly known as thumb sucking, is a common behavior in infants during the first weeks of life. At this early stage it responds to an innate and natural reflex. However, as the child grows, this habit should progressively diminish. When it persists over time, it can become a major problem that affects the child’s oral, functional and emotional development.
Continued thumb sucking causes alterations in the palate, which can become narrow, and affects essential functions such as swallowing and speech. In addition, this habit can negatively influence the physical and emotional development of the child. Associated problems also include the appearance of calluses, irritative eczema and visible deformities in the finger that is repeatedly inserted in the mouth.
With the eruption of the primary dentition there is a change in the swallowing pattern. It is approximately from the age of four when harmful habits, such as persistent digital sucking, begin to have a more evident negative impact on oral development, favoring the appearance of dental malocclusions.
The consequences of this habit can manifest themselves at different levels. At the bony level, a narrow palate, upper prognathism -when the upper jaw moves forward due to finger pressure- and lower retrognathia, caused by the limitation of the growth of the lower jaw, are observed. At the dental level, it is common to find advanced upper incisors, receding lower incisors and crossbites, both unilateral and bilateral.
At the muscular level, digital sucking can cause lip hypotonia and an overactive lower lip, which overexerts during sucking and swallowing. At the phonetic level, tongue thrusting occurs at rest, i.e. incorrect placement of the tongue between the teeth when the mouth is relaxed, which can affect speech.
Ziving stresses the importance of early prevention and regular check-ups to detect these habits in time and offer the most appropriate solution, favoring a healthy oral development in children.
