Finger Habits that affect tooth position are usually limited to the thumb….thumb-sucking. However, other finger habits also exist.
In general, a thumb-sucking habit will produce an anterior open bite, flaring of the upper front teeth, and pushing the lower front teeth backwards.
If a child feels that their thumb-sucking habit is out of their control, I often advise parents to have the child wear a sock on the hands during the hours of sleep. I even suggest that the socks are not freshly laundered. The odor of the socks may act to dehabituate the thumb-sucking.
