Sucking is a normal baby reflex, which can often persist into childhood. It helps babies and toddlers feel secure and happy, and helps them learn about their world and developing teeth. Thumb sucking is fairly common, and a habit which often starts before birth. (There are plenty of parents who report seeing their baby sucking his or her thumb in ultrasound pictures.) It is also soothing, and helps to induce sleep or calms the child when placed in stressful situations.
For most kids, it just feels good, so many continue this habit into their toddler, preschool years, and sometimes into their elementary (and middle school years.)
“Thumb habits” (and pacifier habits, for that matter) can significantly alter the developing dental arch: they can alter the shape of the arches and the position of the teeth, especially if the habit continues over a long period of time. Passive sucking may not be harmful to development, but more vigorous sucking can lead to changes in the growth (or expansion) of the palate, and/or teeth alignment. A proper bite is important for the adult teeth which are set to replace the baby teeth. This progressive development, which starts in the early years of development(and thus can be stunted by thumb habits,), can lead to permanent bite problems, TMJ, and other issues (e.g. sleep apnea, recurrent ear infections.)
The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends that children be encouraged to stop their thumb sucking habit by age four, if possible, during waking hours. Daytime habits can be modified (or halted) with verbal correction, although a few tricks can also be employed. For the majority of preschool-aged thumb suckers, the habit declines or ceases when the child notes that few (if any) of their friends enjoy the same habit. Many will stop, or significantly curtail the habit between the ages of 3-5, just based on observation of their peers.
Nighttime thumb sucking habits may fall under a different category, of course, because most kids are not controlling it… These can be a little more difficult to modify, as they become a natural part of a child’s sleep routine.
There are some tips that can help the situation.
Ways to Help Your Child Quit Their Thumb Sucking
• Give praise when your child doesn’t suck their thumb. Being supportive and positive is very important. Employ those around the child to help, as well. Grandparents who may watch a child when one or both parents are at work, for example.
• Notice when your child does it, and look for ways to distract them or to provide other options. Get them active, and their hands occupied, when you feel it is a common time of day for them to increase their thumb sucking. Sometimes, they’re just tired, and that is a very common time to revert to the habit.
• If your child sucks their thumb when they feel anxiety, you should look for ways to alleviate that anxiety. Providing simple explanations to sometimes overwhelming (or impending) situations can help, of course
• Work with your pediatric dentist (and the people they see in the office: a dental hygienist, for example,) to reinforce the importance of decreasing (or stopping) those habits.
• For nighttime thumb sucking habits, it can be a little more difficult, and so oftentimes, some physical aids are recommended. Foul-tasting, painted-on deterrents have been moderately unsuccessful for most, but have worked for some.
• Band-aids on several fingers, or a sock over your child’s hand (maybe duct taped to the forearm…lol) can act as a physical deterrent to nighttime thumb habits. Similarly, wrapping the arm with a larger Ace bandage (snug, but not tight) from forearm to wrist, can make it difficult for the child to flex their arm, and may help slowly decrease the habit each night.
• In some cases, a dental appliance can be designed and placed to physically block the thumb from occupying the palate space. (And is thought important enough by insurance companies, that most cover some portion of it.)
• For most sucking habits, it is deemed appropriate to continue any intervention for at least 2-3 weeks (especially for nighttime habits,) as it takes time to modify those deep-seated habits. For dental appliances, most are left in place for at least 6-8 weeks, with follow-up (and a cheerleading/encouragement session with the dental office) every few weeks, as needed.
• For daytime habits, a progress chart (maybe a kitty kat calendar with days marked, for example) is a great way to build momentum in changing day-time sucking habits, and reaching goals. Rewards for a full week, 2 weeks can be laid out at the beginning, when goals are discussed.
• In a similar context, pacifiers (more easily discarded than thumbs, of course) should be dscontinued over a period of time, with rewards at each stage of quitting. For some, going “cold turkey” works well, too!
Being conscious of the thumb sucking problem and working with your child will help. Their forever smile depends on you and the good habits that you encourage.