Thumb-sucking in children younger than 4 is usually not a problem
When to be concerned?
Children (4-5yrs)who suck their thumbs often or with great intensity or those who are still sucking their thumbs at age 6
What could happen?
improperly aligned teeth (malocclusion) teeth start to push outward. **This usually corrects itself when the child stops thumb-sucking. But the longer thumb-sucking continues, the more likely it is that treatment will be needed.Speech problems caused by thumb-sucking can include not being able to say Ts and Ds, lisping, and thrusting out the tongue when talking.
