Suck finger Jack!

Kimesha Walters, Contributor

Sophia Campbelldoes not recall distinctly when she stopped sucking her fingers, but she recalls crystal clear the jeers, the teasing and many cruel remarks that were thrown at her from as early as basic school. She found out early that many would shy away from her, but were bold in piercing her with unkind words and names. "Suck finger Jack" was a popular nickname for her, and she despised it.

While she has moved on from those negative childhood experiences, Campbell's mind occasionally flashes on these memories that marred her early years, at home, school and even church. Today, she vows to ensure that if she has a child, history will not repeat itself. A fear similar to Campbell's has Omar and Sharette Oliphant vigilant to ensure their two-year-old daughter does not continue to suck her finger to the point where it is difficult for her to stop. After all, Sharette stopped sucking her finger at age seven, and Omar quit sucking his tongue around age 10.

"I don't want her to continue sucking beyond three years old because of the germs and the problems that can occur with her teeth," said Omar. He reveals that while his daughter mainly sucks her finger when she is hungry, it would prove to be a problem if she gets too used to doing it.

Tracey McNair, a licensed dental hygienist, and a certified orofacial myologist confirmed that prolonged digit sucking can prove to be detrimental. If extended, digit sucking can affect that child's growth period negatively in the crucial years, as 60 per cent of craniofacial development is completed by four years old and 90 per cent by 12 years old.

McNair revealed that while some children learn to suck by copying those around them, many learn to do so as infants. Babies are born with an instinctive reflex to suck, and this is essential to their survival because without it, they cannot successfully feed and thrive. However, she revealed that it is a problem if the child reaches three years old or beyond and sucking is continuing on a vigorous and long-standing basis.

McNair said major disadvantages can emanate from this tendency. "Digit sucking habits can cause several dental abnormalities, and cause the tongue to rest in an abnormal place in the mouth, which can create more dental problems by causing teeth to erupt unevenly," she said. Additionally, it can also cause the tongue to function incorrectly, and eventually create a negative effect on occlusion, speech production, swallowing, facial appearance and self-esteem. Added to that are problems such as distractions when the child should be attentive in class, and picking up and passing on germs to other students with whom they share items.

Based on the drawbacks of finger sucking, some parents might see the pacifier as a viable alternative, but McNair warns that long term pacifier use has the same negative dental effects, plus, it can interfere with breast feeding and may increase the propensity for experiencing otitis media (middle ear infections).

While parents might become worried about children who do digit sucking, McNair said there are several benefits. As she explained: "Sucking actually releases chemicals in the brain called endorphins, which create a feeling of calm and well-being, and children learn they can derive the same feelings from sucking on a convenient finger or thumb, which then produces a sucking habit." As such, parents will find that their sucking child will more likely be contented and happy.

Furthermore, all is not lost as many children outgrow the habit on their own as they become more active. Plus, according to the dental hygienist, "If they stop while young enough, there can be quite rapid and spontaneous correction of some dental problems." However, to resolve the negative impacts of digit sucking, an orthodontist will want all digit-sucking habits eliminated before embarking on orthodontic treatment, hence parents have to ensure they break the cycle before commencing treatment.

But what if they don't stop on their own? McNair explained that most children want to stop sucking but they do not know how, and many parents who have tried to stop their children failed because of the highly emotional involvement they have with their own child. Orofacial myologists can play a critical role to assist in this process. "They are trained to stop children sucking, using a fun-based positive-reinforcement programme that removes all of the emotional burden and stress from the parents," McNair declared. "All that is required is a child who is willing to try, and parents who will support."

* Not her real name

Five tips to bear in mind when trying to get a child to quit digit sucking

1. Keep children on a predictable and strict feeding and bedtime regime.

2. Keep children busy with physical activities, or activities that require manipulation (eg Lego and jigsaw puzzles) to reduce sucking times.

3. Do not initiate a digit-sucking-elimination programme at any time of great stress to the child or the family. i.e., if a beloved pet has just died, parents are going through a divorce/separation, arrival of a new baby sibling, family illness or death. Emotional burdens would just set the child up for failure and sometimes can also trigger a relapse of a sucking habit in a child who had previously stopped.

4. After the sucking has been eliminated it is recommended that a full examination is done to determine if Myofunctional Therapy is required to teach lips to stay together, correct tongue posture, and tongue function for swallowing and speech (if the speech problem is related to tongue placement).

5. Sometimes patients will require further examination with an ear, nose and throat specialist if airway (breathing) issues or ankyloglossia (Tongue-tie) are evident, and others will require orthodontic care or a speech therapist.


- Tips provided by Tracey McNair, a licensed dental hygienist, a certified orofacial myologist and a published author. Look out for her book, 'Suck Finger Pickney', (by LMH Publishing Limited) which is available in bookstores island-wide. It is a story about two friends who are bonded in friendship by their thumb-sucking habits and how they discover that sucking is not such a good habit to have after all.