Thumb-Sucking, Pacifiers, and Oral Health

THE WORLD IS CERTAINLY DIFFERENT THAN A MOTHER'S WOMB, and babies often develop coping mechanisms to help establish comfort and familiarity. Some little ones opt for a blanket or stuffed animal, but, more often than not, they adopt the habit of thumb-sucking or become reliant on a pacifier.

When Thumb-Sucking and Pacifiers are Helpful...

Before they are even born, babies have an instinct to suck on things. It satisfies their need to feel safe and content and can actually be beneficial for many reasons. Having that pacifier at night can help them fall asleep (which means more sleep for you, too!). It can also keep them calm when parents aren't around and reduce the risk of SIDS. 

When They are Doing More Harm than Good...

If you're worried about the state of your thumb-sucking toddler’s teeth down the road, don't - the damage is going to be very minimal at this stage. By the age of four, around the time to start school, the habit will most likely go away as your child strives to feel more grown-up.

When kindergarten rolls around, however, the intervention becomes more important. This is when permanent teeth begin to make an appearance, and the shape of the palate and bite between upper and lower teeth can be altered by intense thumb-sucking. More corrective orthodontic measures will need to be taken to combat this, which means more money out of your pocket if the habit persists longer than it should. 

Tips to Discourage Thumb-Sucking

Pacifiers aren't as big of an issue since they can be taken away when the time comes, but this is obviously not an option in the case of thumb-sucking. If age six rolls around and the thumb-sucking hasn't subsided, there are a few approaches you can take to steer your child away from this behavior:

• Positive reinforcement - Praise your child when they don't have their thumb in their mouth instead of scolding them when they do. 
• Set goals - Make a chart with rewards so their progress is visible and becomes something that they can get excited about.  
• Stay busy - Hands and minds that are occupied with fun activities won't fall victim to thumb-sucking. Don't make boredom an option!
• Cover up - Put socks over your child’s hands or invest in some sort of thumb guard to keep your child’s hands from subconsciously migrating into their mouths at night. 
  
  

Remember - these strategies aren't as much for toddlers, but for children kindergarten-age and up. Toddlers will only become upset as a result of these measures since they're too young to understand why they should stop sucking their thumb.

We’re Here to Help!

If pacifiers and thumb-sucking are stressing you out, feel free to ask Dr. Zohra, our pediatric dentist, to address your concerns! Together we can come up with effective strategies to promote the best possible development of your child’s smile. 

We love having you and your child as part of our practice family!