IF A CHILD CONTINUES their finger or thumb-sucking habit past their toddler years, it can negatively affect the growth of their jaws and the position of their teeth.
A Healthy Habit for a Baby or Toddler
There’s no need to worry about a baby or toddler with a thumb-sucking habit or a pacifier. These are perfectly healthy self-soothing habits that help a child feel safe and happy in a new or stressful situation (and most situations are potentially new and stressful for them). And when Baby feels safe and happy, that’s more relaxing for the parents too!
Not Growing Out of It?
Eventually, these habits begin to do more harm than good. Most children will grow out of them on their own by age 4, but if not, vigorous thumb-sucking can change the way developing adult teeth will come in and can even alter the shape of their dental arches. If they’re still showing no signs of stopping, it’s time to consider intervening.
Breaking the Habit
It can be easier to discourage a pacifier habit, because simply trimming off the end will make it much less appealing until the child loses interest. It’s trickier to discourage thumbsucking. Foul-tasting topical aids don’t always work. We recommend being encouraging and praising successes over punishing failures. Try to provide activities that keep both hands too busy for thumbsucking. At night, socks over their hands can be a helpful tactic!
The Dentist Can Help
If you’re concerned about your child’s pacifier or thumb-sucking habit, we’re here to answer your questions. We can examine your child’s teeth and jaws and recommend steps you can take if the habit’s becoming a problem.