Thumb Sucking and Tongue Thrust

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On 22/04/202122/04/2021By Developer ThemeIn Dental Care, Dental Technologies

Thumb Sucking and Tongue Thrust

Infants, toddlers, and young children often suck their thumb or fingers for comfort, which is considered normal, low risk behaviour. But when a child gets older, this behaviour, as well as tongue thrusting, can be concerning. It can affect:

  • Adult teeth
  • Skeletal development
  • Jaw alignment
  • Speech

Thumb and finger sucking and tongue thrusting behaviours can create problems in the mouth, including:

  • Damage to a child’s top front teeth
  • Alteration to a child’s bite, such as developing an overbite or open bite
  • An abnormal swallowing technique
  • Problems with jaw alignment
  • Altered speech patterns

Thumb and finger sucking can cause tongue thrust, but you do not have to suck on your thumb or fingers to develop tongue thrust.

Your child may have tongue thrusting if:

  • Their tongue moves forward against their front teeth when pronouncing certain letters.
  • They breathe through their mouth.
  • They have cracked or chapped lips regularly.
  • Their lips remain open when their mouth is in a resting position.

Tongue Crib


Tongue Thrust can be treated with orthodontic intervention. A tongue crib can discourage thumb and finger sucking and re-guide the tongue’s movements.

A tongue crib is a metal device that fits in the top front of the mouth. It is generally used for elementary- or middle-school-aged children who have developed teeth, jaw, muscular, and/or skeletal abnormalities because of thumb and finger sucking or a condition called tongue thrust.
The child uses a tongue crib for several months to deter these behaviours. While this can be an effective treatment for your child, there are other options that can be used to curb these behaviours as well. You may decide to use a combination of interventions or just try a tongue crib to help correct thumb and finger sucking and tongue thrusting.

How Tongue Crib works

A tongue crib is an orthodontic appliance with a metal grate blocking the top front roof of the mouth. This grate makes it impossible for your child to suck on their thumb or fingers because they cannot achieve suction when sucking.
It also may help correct your child’s tongue position by encouraging the tongue to rest downward and backward instead of forward and upward, which can cause many problems in the mouth.
Tongue cribs can be removable or permanent, depending on your child’s needs.
Your child may be able to have a removable crib if you feel that they’ll remember to wear it regularly and not lose it.
You may be more likely to choose a permanent tongue crib if you feel that your child may be tempted to take it out frequently or not wear it at all.
The child usually needs to use the tongue crib for several months or up to a year to help break their sucking or thrusting habits.

Treating the tongue thrust with Tongue Crib is considered an early orthodontic intervention which reduces or eliminates the need for a more complex orthodontic treatment later on.

For more information in regards to tongue crib or any other early orthodontic treatment, please call Park St Dental Practice on 99975770.

Author: Dr Neda Gorji