According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, common habits such as thumb sucking or pacifier use, while normal in early life, should be stopped before the age of four years old. If these habits were to continue beyond age four, they can lead to dental malocclusion (buck teeth) and deformation of the child's jaw which would require braces to correct later on. Additionally, try to wean your child off the bottle by age one. Do not put a child to sleep with a bottle, unless the bottle is filled only with water. Milk, juice, and especially soft drinks will cause rapid decay of your child's teeth.

On the other hand, other habits such as mild snoring or grinding are normal and usually do not require treatment. However, if the child snores heavily or has sleep apnea, an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor should be consulted.