Did you know that about 90% of infants start to suck their thumbs (or fingers) within two hours after birth? In fact, some even start this habit while they’re still in the womb! While this adorable trademark of babies everywhere is completely natural, it has the potential to negatively influence your child’s growing smile and cause long-lasting complications. So when should your little one stop sucking their thumb, and how can you help them? Read on as your Pelham pediatric dentist explains everything you need to know about this habit and how to keep your child’s growing smile safe and healthy.
What’s Considered “Normal” for Thumb Sucking?
There’s no need to panic if your little one sucks their thumb! Experts in child development suggest that thumb and finger sucking is a means of self-comfort. Children may suck their thumb if they feel stressed, upset, hungry, tired, nervous, or bored. Generally, most kids will naturally stop this habit on their own between the ages of two and four.
As a parent, you already know that kids grow pretty quickly. Key parts of their oral development happen around the age of four, including how their mouth, jaws, and permanent teeth form. If your son or daughter is still sucking their thumb by then, or is sucking their thumb aggressively with lots of jaw movement, this habit can begin to impact how their precious smile grows.
How Does Thumb Sucking Impact Dental Development?
While thumb sucking is harmless at first, the extra pressure it exerts in the mouth can significantly influence how it forms. Extra force on your little one’s baby teeth, gum ridge, and jaws from thumb sucking can lead to issues like:
- Misaligned jaws and bite issues like overbite or crossbite.
- Permanent teeth that don’t come in correctly.
- Changes to the shape of the jaws and the roof of the mouth.
In most cases, these problems can only be corrected with orthodontic treatments, or in some cases, surgery. If your child is still sucking their thumb as their permanent teeth come in or if you notice that they’re sucking their thumb aggressively, it’s time to talk to your Pelham pediatric dentist for help.
How Can I Help My Child Stop Sucking Their Thumb?
Thankfully, there are plenty of strategies that can help your little one break this habit successfully. As you work to help your child stop sucking their thumbs or fingers, remember that patience is key. Anger, disappointment, and mocking are not effective tools in these situations, and they can easily damage your child’s development in other ways. Instead, try more reliable methods like:
- Identifying and addressing triggers: Find out what’s causing your child to feel anxious enough to suck their thumb and work towards resolving that issue.
- Use positive reinforcement: The carrot works better than the stick, as they say. Praise your son or daughter when they don’t suck their thumb or create a goal tracker with rewards.
- See your Pelham pediatric dentist: As a highly trained dental professional, a pediatric dentist is more than ready and able to help you find a method or product that will help your child stop sucking their thumb.
Your child’s thumb sucking may be cute now, but it’s not worth a big dental bill and extensive treatments later. Make sure you help them break this habit around the time they turn four to set them up for proper oral development and a happy, healthy smile.
About the Practice
At Simply Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we’re thrilled to care for the growing smiles of Pelham, Nashua, and the surrounding New Hampshire communities. We’re proud to offer a comprehensive menu of services for infants, toddlers, children, and teens alike that will help them achieve and maintain optimal oral health. As part of our dedication to your little one’s precious smile, we also offer assistance in breaking non-nutritive habits like thumb sucking. We’ve successfully helped countless kids stop sucking their fingers with a variety of proven strategies, so don’t hesitate to contact us online or at (603) 635-1166 to learn more.