Parents come to our Federal Way dentistry clinic with concerns about their child’s thumb-sucking habit. It’s well understood that habitual sucking of the thumb can cause teeth to come in wrong, which may call for costly orthodontia treatment. You should encourage your child to stop sucking on his or her thumbs or pacifiers before the permanent teeth begin to erupt. Most children will give up the habit between the ages of two and four, but if they persist beyond this point you might need to get serious.
Many insecure children will suck on their thumbs to comfort themselves. Examine what may be at the heart of their anxiety and help them to get over these issues. You can also keep your child aware of the habit by putting a bandage around his or her thumb, or putting socks over his or her hands when he or she goes to bed.
Your dentist can also be valuable in helping to kick the habit. We can gently advise your child on the consequences of thumb-sucking, and particularly problematic cases can be given a special product to avoid serious damage. Talk to your Federal Way dentist today for more information.
