ABSTRACT

The sucking instinct ensures the survival of mammals after birth through nutritional sucking. Thumb sucking is a childhood behavior commonly observed in children aged 1 to 4 years. There are three theories related to the abnormal prolongation of this habit; insufficient satisfaction of the sucking need in infancy, emotional disturbances and increased pleasure obtained from sucking. If this habit is not prevented, overjet increase, anterior openbite, maxillary narrowness and posterior crossbites will certainly develop. In this case report a 8-year-old girl with the habit of thumb sucking in whom an habit-breaking appliance was applied is presented, and the advantages of this type of appliances are discussed.