This condition can be present from birth upwards and many young children suck their thumbs which has a soothing effect. However, if this persists into later childhood and adolescence it may become very distressing both for the individual and their family. It may have become such a habit that the individual is unaware that the thumb is going into the mouth.
Often as a result of prolonged thumb sucking the teeth are pushed out of alignment and are likely to require extensive dental treatment later.
Hypnosis can be very helpful in treating this distressing problem. During the course of the treatment the patient is given powerful suggestions that they will no longer have the need to suck their thumb. During the treatment session the patient will be taught how to use self hypnosis at home; this an essential component of the treatment programme. David Kraft has found that if the patient is well motivated to give up this habit the treatment results are excellent after about 10 sessions.