PEDIATRICS Vol. 54 No. 2 August 1974, pp. 196-200
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Curzon, M. E. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Curzon, M. E. J.

Dental Implications of Thumb-Sucking

M. E. J. Curzon M.S., B.D.S., L.D.S.R.C.S.1

1 Department of Pedodontics, Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, New York

Controversy continues to exist over the problem of thumb-sucking, not only as to its cause and implications, but as to the best method and time of treatment. Pediatricians to whom concerned parents bring their children with this problem may find it difficult to decide what are the implications and just what he should advise the parents from both the medical and dental point of view.

HABIT AND PSYCHOLOGIC DISTURBANCE

Although originally considered to be a symptom of deeper psychologic import, the idea that undesirable sequelae will result from punitive restrictions on thumb-sucking derives from Freudian concepts of psychopathology. However, this theory has not been supported by recent research, and nonnutritive sucking is now considered to be simply learned behavior.1-3 There is no evidence to substantiate the theory that prolonged sucking habits result from emotional disturbances.4 No relationship has been found between prolonged sucking habits and the child's place in line of siblings.5

The habit is to be expected to occur in a large percentage of infants but can only be considered pathological, associated as it is with deformity of teeth and related structures, when prolonged beyond infancy.

INCIDENCE

Age is a very important determinant in assessing the incidence of the habit. Thumb-sucking, including various types of finger sucking, is frequent in infants. Traisman and Traisman2 found that 45.6% of American children under the age of 4 years thumb-sucked with no significant differences between the sexes. Baalack and Frisk6 in a retrospective study of Swedish children found that 30.7% had been, or still were, thumb-sucking at the time of the study.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
P. C. Friman and B. D. Schmitt
Thumb Sucking: Pediatricians' Guidelines
Clinical Pediatrics, October 1, 1989; 28(10): 438 - 440.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
W. J. Phelan, G. H. Bachara, and A. R. Satterly
Severe Hemorrhagic Complication from Thumb Sucking
Clinical Pediatrics, December 1, 1979; 18(12): 769 - 770.
[PDF]

Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
D. F. Turbeville and R. G. Fearnow
Is it Possible To Identify the Child Who Is a "High Risk" Candidate for the Accidental Ingestion of a Poison?: Comparison of Oral Gratification Habits Between 100 Poison Ingestors and 100 Controls
Clinical Pediatrics, October 1, 1976; 15(10): 918 - 919.
[PDF]