What is normal, what can affect your child’s developing bite, and when it is worth a chat with the dentist.

Most childhood oral habits, including thumb sucking, dummy use and night-time teeth grinding, are common and usually settle on their own. Habits that continue past about age three to four can start to affect the developing bite, so it is worth mentioning them at your child’s regular dental visit.

Are my child’s oral habits normal?

Almost certainly, yes. If you have found yourself googling this at 10pm after hearing your child grinding through the bedroom wall, you are in very good company.

Sucking and chewing are how babies self-soothe. It starts before birth, and it is a normal part of development rather than a sign anything is wrong.

Age is what we pay attention to, more than the habit itself. A three-year-old sucking their thumb at bedtime is ordinary. By six, with the adult front teeth arriving, all-day sucking is worth a look. Even then, it is usually manageable.

Nothing in this article is a reason to panic, and none of it is a judgement on your parenting. Habits are just information. Bring them up at your child’s next visit, and we will tell you honestly whether anything needs doing.

Thumb sucking and dummies

Children suck their fingers, thumbs or a dummy because it comforts them. It helps them settle, get to sleep and cope when they are tired or upset, which is exactly why it is so common in the early years.

Better Health Channel notes that most children stop sucking their fingers or thumb somewhere between two and four years of age, and that the earlier a child stops, the more likely their teeth and jaws will correct any related growth problems naturally.

So when should you start gently steering them away from it? Around age three is a reasonable time to begin, without making it a battle. School age is the point where it genuinely matters, because the adult front teeth are on their way by then.

If the habit carries on, prolonged sucking can contribute to:

• An overbite, where the upper front teeth get pushed further forward than ideal
• An open bite, where the top and bottom front teeth do not meet when the mouth is closed, sometimes leaving a gap the tongue can poke through
• Speech effects, particularly with s and z sounds, which can show up as a lisp

None of that is inevitable, and how hard a child sucks matters more than the fact they do it. Vigorous sucking is more likely to move teeth than passive thumb-in-mouth resting.

What actually works, based on the Victorian Government’s advice? Encouragement and praise rather than nagging. Distraction with a toy or a cuddle. Small rewards for going a night, then a week, without sucking. If those approaches do not get there, ask us about finger guards or paint-on solutions. One thing worth knowing: nagging tends to backfire, because children who feel nagged often dig in.

Dummies follow much the same logic, with one advantage. A dummy can be taken away, whereas a thumb is always attached, so dummy habits are often easier to phase out.

Teeth grinding (bruxism) in children

Grinding teeth during sleep, called bruxism, is very common in children and often sounds far worse than it is.

Why it happens is not fully settled. Contributing factors can include the discomfort of new teeth coming through, teeth that do not yet meet evenly, blocked noses or mouth breathing, and stress or excitement, whether that is starting school or a new sibling.

Most children grow out of it without any treatment at all. The grinding often eases as the adult teeth settle in. And because baby teeth get replaced anyway, wear on them is less of a long-term problem.

Some signs are worth raising with us though:

• Teeth that look visibly worn, flattened or chipped
• Complaints of jaw pain, facial soreness or morning headaches
• Sensitivity to hot or cold foods
• Sleep that is clearly disturbed, or loud snoring alongside the grinding

That last one deserves attention. Grinding paired with snoring or mouth breathing can point to an airway issue, and it is worth investigating rather than assuming it is just a habit.

Night guards are not usually recommended for young children, since their mouths are still growing and the appliance would need constant remaking. We tend to monitor instead, and step in only if wear becomes significant. If you grind yourself, we have a separate guide to adult teeth grinding, and our teeth grinding page explains treatment options.

When do baby teeth fall out?

Baby teeth start falling out from about age six, and the process continues until roughly age twelve. The first to go is usually a lower front tooth.

Better Health Channel makes a point worth remembering: it is perfectly normal for a child to lose their first tooth up to two years earlier or later than age six. Girls generally lose teeth earlier than boys. If your five-year-old has a wobbly tooth, or your seven-year-old has none, both are within normal range.

Here is the typical pattern:

Most children have all 20 baby teeth by around age three, and the first adult molars arrive at about six, coming through behind the baby teeth rather than replacing any.

Baby teeth are not just placeholders that do not matter. They let children chew and eat properly; they matter for speech development, and they hold the space in the jaw for the adult teeth to come into. When a baby molar is lost too early to decay, neighbouring teeth can drift into the gap and create crowding for the adult tooth later. That is the main reason we treat decay in baby teeth rather than waiting for them to fall out.

Signs it is time to see the dentist

Worth booking a visit if you notice any of these:

• A sucking habit still going strong at age four or beyond
• Front teeth that do not meet when your child closes their mouth
• Teeth looking worn, flattened or chipped
• Jaw pain, facial soreness or regular morning headaches
• White, brown or dark spots on any tooth
• Bleeding gums, or gums that look red and puffy
• Ongoing bad breath that brushing does not fix
• A tooth knocked out or broken, which is urgent, so call us the same day
• Snoring, mouth breathing or restless sleep
• Your child avoiding certain foods, or saying chewing hurts
• No first dental visit yet and your child is over twelve months old

Not sure whether something counts? Ring us. We would much rather answer a quick question than have you sit on a worry.

Building healthy habits early

The basics do most of the heavy lifting, and the Victorian Government’s guidance is refreshingly specific about amounts by age:

• From birth: a soft, clean cloth wiped over the gums is enough
• From the first tooth: brush twice a day with a soft brush and plain water. No toothpaste yet
• From 18 months: a pea-sized smear of low-fluoride children’s toothpaste, spat out rather than swallowed or rinsed away
• From about 2.5 years: floss wherever two teeth touch
• From 4 to 5 years: let them start brushing their own teeth while you supervise
• From 6 years: adult toothpaste now, still spitting rather than rinsing
• From about 8 years: most children are fine brushing and flossing on their own

Keep toothpaste stored out of reach, since swallowing it is the thing to avoid. Water is the best drink between meals, and limiting sugary drinks and snacks matters more than any brushing technique.

On timing, the first dental visit should be at around twelve months, or when the first tooth appears. Early visits are mostly about getting your child comfortable and giving you tailored advice, not treatment. Our guides to your child’s first dental visit and choosing a children’s dentist cover what to expect. After that, a regular check-up and clean keeps things on track.

One more thing for sporty kids: any child playing contact sport should wear a custom mouthguard, including at primary school age. Boil-and-bite versions from the chemist fit poorly and protect much less.

Is my child eligible for free dental care?

Possibly, and a lot of eligible families have no idea. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a federal government scheme covering basic dental care for eligible children aged 0 to 17.

Children whose two-year period starts in 2026 can claim up to $1,158 per child across two consecutive calendar years. If your child’s two-year window opened in 2025, the older $1,132 cap is the one that applies, even where treatment carries on into 2026.

To be eligible, your child needs to be enrolled in Medicare and your family needs to be receiving a qualifying government payment, such as Family Tax Benefit Part A. Services Australia can confirm your balance, and so can we before treatment starts.

It covers check-ups, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions. It does not cover orthodontic or cosmetic work, or dental services in hospital. Any unused balance is forfeited once the two-year window closes, so it pays to use it rather than save it.

Figures are indicative and correct at the time of writing; your child’s exact entitlement is confirmed with Services Australia, and any fees are confirmed at your consultation.

Why choose The Smile Collective for children’s dentistry in Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula

Children remember how a dental visit felt long after they forget what happened, which is why we take the unhurried approach with young patients.

Our dentists are all Australian Dental Association members with vast general, oral surgical and orthodontic experience, and we are one of only a few practices on the Mornington Peninsula to offer dental implant placement. Dr Ronak (Ron) Patel, BDS MJDF PGDip(Implants), is a Director and Principal Dentist who graduated from Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Dental School in 2003, and was the first dentist in Australia certified to treat dental phobia, which matters a great deal for nervous children. Dr Priya Patel, BDS (Honours), is a Director with advanced training in the management of anxious patients. Dr Fady Goher, BDSc ADC MFDS Edinburgh, is a Director and Principal Dentist who holds a Diploma in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, useful when a habit has started to affect a developing bite. Meet the wider team, including our oral health therapists, on our about us page.

Our clinics use EMS Airflow Guided Biofilm Therapy for gentle cleans, CEREC same-day restorations, laser dentistry and a CBCT 3D scanner. For children who find appointments genuinely difficult, we offer sedation and sleep dentistry. We also process CDBS claims, so eligible families can use their entitlement directly with us.

You will find us at six centres: Greensborough, Mooroolbark, Oakleigh and Strathmore across Melbourne, and Mount Eliza and Mornington on the Mornington Peninsula.

Book your child in at your nearest clinic: Greensborough | Mooroolbark | Oakleigh | Strathmore | Mount Eliza | Mornington

Book online or call your nearest Smile Collective centre.

Further reading

• Children’s Dentistry at The Smile Collective
• Your Child’s First Dental Visit: A Parent’s Guide to a Stress-Free Start
• How to choose a children’s dentist?
• What should I know about Invisalign treatment for children?

Medical references

• Better Health Channel (Victorian Government): Thumb Sucking
• Better Health Channel (Victorian Government): Teeth Development in Children
• Better Health Channel (Victorian Government): Dental Checks for Young Children
• Better Health Channel (Victorian Government): Dummies
• Australian Government Department of Health: Child Dental Benefits Schedule
• Services Australia: Child Dental Benefits Schedule
• Dental Health Services Victoria
• Australian Dental Association: Sports Mouthguards