Thumbsucking is a phase many children go through that often resolves itself. Using their own thumbs to self-soothe starts in infancy or often before.
Sometimes, no matter how hard parents try, it is incredibly hard to convince their child to stop the harmful habit. Thumbsucking is a very natural reflex and should be addressed carefully and using positive reinforcement. Here we share the problems that thumbsucking can cause and how it can be avoided and corrected.
Why is My Child Sucking Their Thumb?
To put it simply, thumbsucking is comforting to your child. This often begins when your child is in the womb and gives them a way to get to know the world around them while feeling secure. They often use the technique when getting to sleep.
How Thumbsucking Affects Your Child’s Teeth
Growth and Alignment
This can affect the way that permanent teeth come in and affect the alignment of their teeth. The teeth that come in can slow outward. If the sucking is aggressive enough, it can cause issues with the baby teeth. Change the shape of the jaw and palate.
Bite Changes
Your child’s upper teeth should overlap your child’s bottom teeth. The constant pressure that occurs with thumbsucking can interfere with the eruption of their teeth, causing the teeth not to overlap. When both the top and bottom rows slant outward this can interfere with speech and chewing.
How A Dental Professional Can Correct Issues Caused By Thumbsucking
The alignment issues caused by thumbsucking can be corrected with braces or dental surgery.
Keep your regular dental appointments so any effects of thumbsucking can be identified early on and be handled.
How to Deter Thumbsucking
Sometimes the thumbsucking habit is left behind between the ages of two and four, so it will resolve itself. But there are some things you can do to help the process along:
Ignore the Behavior
Just ride it out and wait for the issue to resolve itself. Sometimes highlighting the behavior can exacerbate the problem.
Rewards
Let your child know that not sucking their thumb is preferable and reward them with stickers or fun activities.
Encouragement from parents
Try to identify the stressor that are triggering the habit, if there are any particular issues. Give them other methods to reduce stress. Be straight with your child. Let them know the damage they may be doing to their mouths with thumbsucking.
Comfort
Sometimes something is triggering the thumbsucking. The comfort provided by you can substitute for what they receive from thumbsucking. Try a hug or playing a fun game.
Distraction
Come up with an activity that you can do together to keep their hands busy and minds off of their thumbs. If your child primarily sucks their thumbs at night, try setting up a bedtime routine that helps to alleviate the habit.
Help From Your Dental Professional
Sometimes a word from your child’s dentist can go a long way in encouraging them to give up their thumbsucking habit. There are interventions that the dental team at the Long Beach office of Dr. Stephen A. Coates can employ to help with the habit.
Call us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your child’s needs as a result of thumbsucking today at 562-434-6414 or request an appointment here.
