Posted on 8/15/2024 by Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry
Nearly a third of all babies suck their thumbs by the time they are a year old. Thumb-sucking is a baby's way to self-soothe during times of stress. Most children will stop sucking their thumbs by the time they are two, and only 12% of children are still sucking their thumbs at four years old. Thumb-sucking isn't harmless. Once your child begins to get their teeth, sucking their thumbs will cause problems for their teeth and jaws. How do you get a child to stop sucking their thumb?
Self Awareness
Once your child is three or four years old, they are aware of their actions. That means you can talk to your child about trying not to suck their thumbs, and you can remind them gently when you see them pop that thumb in their mouths. Since thumb sucking is a self-soothing technique, offer the child other ways to self-soothe, such as a blanket, stuffed animal, or toy.
Positive Reinforcement
You may be able to talk their child out of sucking their thumb by offering a reward in return for keeping their thumb out of their mouth. Ask your child what they would like for a reward. You should think about small rewards, such as an extra story or a few minutes of screen time, in exchange for keeping their thumb out of their mouth. Your child can also opt for a larger reward, such as a trip to a park or zoo. If your child chooses a larger reward, you can help keep them on track by giving them a tangible way to look at their progress towards their reward, such as coloring on a bar graph, pennies or marbles in a jar, or stickers on a chart.
No matter what method you use to help your child break the thumb habit, you and your child are working towards better oral health as they grow.
Blog - Wichita, KS • Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry At Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Healy created this informative blog to assist with educating the community about various topics of pediatric dentistry. Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry, 3933 N. Maize Road, Suite 200 Wichita, KS 67101 + (316) 202-9629 + tinyteethwichita.com + 10/3/2024 + Tags: Pediatric Dentist Wichita KS +
Nearly a third of all babies suck their thumbs by the time they are a year old. Thumb-sucking is a baby's way to self-soothe during times of stress. Most children will stop sucking their thumbs by the time they are two, and only 12% of children are still sucking their thumbs at four years old. Thumb-sucking isn't harmless. Once your child begins to get their teeth, sucking their thumbs will cause problems for their teeth and jaws. How do you get a child to stop sucking their thumb? 