I'd be interested to hear your stories and advice!

Since my little girl was a baby & discovered her fingers for sucking (middle & ring finger just like her dad when he was little) she sucks them when she is tired, bored, for comfort or when falling asleep.

Now that her top 4 front teeth have come through I'm a bit worried that the finger sucking is going to cause problems with the shape & position of the teeth and also how it’s affecting the growth of the jaw bone.

Plunket comment on it on our last week 2 weeks ago and simply said "Oh you've got a thumb sucker, I can see it's affecting her teeth" but she did't really say anything else!

So I had a quick look online and I've read many articles most of which say don't worry about it until they are 4-5 years old or when their permanent teeth come through but I have noticed that the front middle teeth and even the ones next to them aren't straight and almost seem a bit pulled forward (hope that makes sense).

During the day at home, when we're in the car when I put her down for a sleep – I will say “fingers out of your mouth please” when she starts to put them in. She’s really good and will actually take them out although sometimes will tease me and pretend to put them back in! I’m very proud of her for doing this as she is only 16 months old!

The thing that I can't control is night time or nap time and she uses the fingers for comfort. She'll suck to fall asleep, usually they fall out and if she semi wakes the fingers go back in. Sometimes when the fingers don’t fall out properly they can be “hanging” from the mouth for hours and get rather water logged! This often happens when she is a light sleep.

Any suggestions on how to prevent her from sucking them? Or should I try and control as much as I can during the day and not worry about night time until she’s older & understands and we’re closer to the age where the teeth start to fall out?

Does she suck her fingers back to front? As in are her fingernails facing into her mouth or out? If they are facing in (back to front) it can push the teeth out although probably wouldn't make them crooked as such.

I used to work at a dental surgery and we had an orthodontist work there. I was worried as DD sucks her thumb. He said thumb suckers weren't as bad as back to front finger suckers as they generally don't push on the teeth.

He also said it wasn't problem until about 5 years of age.

I don't have any advice on how to stop it though..........

But - DD is now 3.5 and only sucks her thumb when really tired and when drifting off to sleep. It used to be at nearly every opportunity. Shes' also old enough to feel embarrassed about it and sometimes I see the thumb get ready to go in and she looks around her and if there's someone else there she puts it away.

Personally I'd see your local dental nurse. You should be able to find out who it is by ringing your local school and asking. It should be free or take her to the dentist with you next time you do so they can have a quick look. Teeth are extremely movable at this age and even when the second teeth are coming in so I think you should get a professional opinion on the teeth before worrying too much at this young age.

Alyssa sucks the same two fingers but on the right hand. Fingernails up. She's almost 5 and has fairly good teeth from what I can tell. I haven't noticed her teeth pushing out at all but I do worry about them moving. Again, for her it's when she's tired, sleeping or for comfort.

I'll keep an eye on your thread.

My boy sucked his thumb and gave up when he was 5 his teeth are fine, he is now 11.
My DD1 sucked her 2 middle fingers until she was 4 her teeth are fine she is 9.
My youngest didn't suck anything...she is nearly 7 her teeth are not so great.
I would aim to give it up by 4-5, I found age four to be easier.

My brother sucked his two middle fingers for a very long time, I am ten years younger than him and I can remember him doing it. Out of all of us three kids he has perfectly straight teeth and never needed braces or anything like that. Us other two non finger/thumb suckers ended up with braces.

DD was a thumb sucker, she seems to have changed the shape of her mouth but I am not really sure if that is from thumb sucking or just the way her mouth is anyway. Her teeth don't stick out though. She finally stopped before Christmas yay.

DS2 (will be 3 in two weeks) sucks 2 fingers (first finger and middle finger) when he's tired or going to sleep. He started at 4 months old. He doesn't do it nearly as often as he used to these days though, but definitely when in bed.

I have been told not to worry until he's 4 or 5. A friend of mine is a dental assistant and she's reassured me that he's still young and not to worry yet.

That's reassuring to me too, thanks renz.

Thanks for your comments

Will give the dental nurse a buzz and arrange an appointment to ease my mind!


Before I forget - I've started using this sleeve mitten thingee that I won a little while ago. It's used for children who have eczema so they can't scratch at night and it's designed that they can't take it off! It's brilliant!

We've been really sucessful using it at night and most nights she'll let me put it on before she falls asleep and she goes to sleep with no problem. Other times she hates it and then I pop it on once she's asleep and we don't hear a peep out of her until the morning.
Nap times well that's a different story - am trying it on & off but it gets too upsetting for her so I usually take it off soon after.

At least we're getting somewhere!

RMS your DD is too young for one of these now, but it is something that you can get at a later date if you are still worried and she's still sucking. www.thumbguard.net.nz (available as finger guard too)

A friend of mine used it on her almost 5yo thumb sucker as she wanted her to stop sucking her thumb before she started school. They had very quick success. (she wore them to kindy and that's when I queried it).

Cool thanks for that Renz

The dental nurse called me back today

She says not to worry about finger/thumb sucking or dummies until their permanant teeth start to come through but said that you should start attempting to interveen once the child is around 3/4 years of age if it's still a problem. At that age they understand the concept a lot better

She said that's it's okay for A. to go to sleep sucking her fingers and then I should go in afterwards and pull the fingers out or pop the mittens on.

Am feeling heaps better now - will still using the mittens and remind her not to suck her fingers but will be much more relaxed about knowing that hey it's okay!