INTRODUCTION
If you have a child three or four years old or younger who habitually sucks his or her thumb, don't worry about it. In fact, most experts agree that if you ignore the problem, it'll probably go away. Harm to permanent teeth will be negligible and any possible tooth alignment problems that do arise will probably self-correct.

It's only when children continue to suck their thumbs after age three or four that you should intervene. That's because by that age, their permanent teeth are coming in. And persistent thumb sucking could cause damage that will require active orthodontic treatment - such as braces - to correct.

Thumb sucking can cause:

• Narrowing of the upper jaw
  
• Crowding of the lower teeth
  
• Flared upper front teeth
  
• Prevention of the nose from growing down (and so it is tipped up)
  
• Crossbite
  
• Open bite
  
• Altered facial growth
  
• Speech problems