Infants will often times suck their thumbs since doing so tend to sooth them.   The real issue with thumb sucking comes from prolonged thumbsucking.  Therefore it is in yours and your child best interest to do your best to discourage thumbsucking as your child gets older.

There are many dental problems that may result from prolonged thumbsucking in a child’s formative years. One of the larger dental issues linked to prolonged thumbsucking is tooth misalignment.  If a child sucks his or her thumb for a long time, it can cause baby teeth to come in crooked. This can lead to issues with their permanent teeth later in life and in some cases, it can even affect the jaw alignment, causing your child to develop and underbite, crossbite, or overbite.

However crooked teeth are not the only issue to prolong thumbsucking. The roof of your child’s mouth may gradually become deformed if the sucking is frequent. This can lead to a number of issues later in life. The altered palate and crooked teeth may result in speech difficulties or impediments.