Challenges of childhood thumbsucking habit and treatment measures

Suckling is a physiological act that provides nourishment and comfort. A baby’s sucking can be either nutritive or nonnutritive. Nonnutritive sucking can turn into a continuous behavior practiced unconsciously, leading to a deleterious oral habit (eg, thumb sucking). The extent of damage caused by this habit is dependent on the duration, frequency and intensity. Till the age 3, this habit is termed to be normal but later certain intervention has to be taken. This habit can have a negative impact on speech, psychology and dental development (maxillary prognathism, increased overjet, mandibular retrognathism, posterior crossbite, midline diastema and open bite) of the child. A combined multidisciplinary team comprising of the Family physician, Speech therapist, psychologist, Pediatric dentist, Orthodontist, pediatrician and Orofacial mycologist is needed for the management and treatment planning of this delirious habit. Thumb sucking is a non meaningful habit commonly found in children. This habit can have a negative impact on speech, psychology and dental development (maxillary prognathism, increased overjet, mandibular retrognathism, posterior crossbite, midline diastema and open bite) of the child. This paper stresses upon the need of combined effort by the multidisciplinary team for the effective treatment planning.