Thumb Sucking - Why It's Important to Break the Habit

Thumb sucking is a normal and natural habit for many young children. It's a response to anxiety or stress; it's a way of soothing themselves. Most parents' worry it means their child is insecure or having some sort of emotional problem; this isn't the case. This habit is normal in children up to age 3, and by age 4 they should start leaving the habit behind them. But, if this habit hasn't stopped by age 5 it could have irreversible effects on your child's body. Unfortunately, many children are slow to stop their thumb sucking habit.

Many people think that thumb sucking is harmless. These people are quite wrong. Thumb sucking can be quite harmful. If it goes on for too long, it can produce problems with chewing, speech and facial appearance. It can also have negative effects on the hands, such as: chapped skin, calluses, and even fingernail infections, according to Maple Healthcare.

The effects thumb sucking can have on the jawbone

The more pressure a child uses to suck their thumb, and the more they do it, the more harm is done; both to the teeth and to the jaw. Thumb sucking pressure makes the front teeth move and can, at its worst, reshape the jaw bone.

Children under the age of 8 have jaw bones that are very soft and flexible. Because of this, fingers and thumbs are able to reshape them. Children that prolong the thumb sucking habit can easily deform the bone surrounding the upper and lower teeth and produce a gap that is very visible when the teeth are closed.

If a child does stop sucking their thumb before they lose their baby front teeth and before the permanent teeth appear, most or all of the harmful effects will disappear over a few months. However, if the thumb sucking still continues after the permanent teeth appear, there can be, according to Maple Healthcare, irreversible damage. This damage includes: flared or protruded upper teeth, delayed eruption of upper or lower front teeth and a gap when the teeth are brought together. This can result in problems chewing, problems with speech and a very expensive time with an orthodontist.

Home remedies that may help break the habit

There are various tricks that parents try to stop their child from sucking their thumbs. Not all of them work, but it's different for each and every child. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.

- Place gloves on your child's hands before bedtime

- Paint thumbs and fingers with various yucky tasting substances (try pickle juice, vinegar, perfume, etc). Be sure to switch once in awhile as they could develop a taste for whatever you're using.

- Wrap bandages around the fingers they like to suck on

- Create a distraction when the child has their hands in their mouth

- Reward them when they aren't sucking their thumb / fingers

An Orthodontic option to help break the habit

Another option is called a "crib" or a "fence". It's a device placed by an orthodontist on the child's upper teeth. This usually stops the child of the habit on the first day of use. It is a type of brace that sits, all the time, on the upper teeth and roof of the mouth. This crib is made of semicircular stainless steel wires connected to supporting steel bands or rings. The half-circle fits behind the child's upper front teeth. The bands are fastened to the upper second molars. There are a few different varieties in use by orthodontists, all of which serve the same purpose.

Why does the "crib" work? It works because it takes away from the habit's gratification.

The wires make it impossible for the thumb or fingers to touch the gums behind the teeth and the roof of the mouth. This is what a child is trying to do, and the "crib" takes away that experience and makes the child not want to do it anymore as they aren't getting the gratification they desire.

Thumb sucking is a hard habit to break for any child. It's important that the parents be supportive and non-threatening. A child needs to be supported and needs positive reinforcement to be able to break the habit. When all else fails, there's always the "crib" treatment. It doesn't hurt the child and they don't feel it. It does break the habit, but at a cost.

It's important to start trying to break the habit before the child reaches the critical age where thumb sucking can have its irreversible damage. It's not impossible to do and with loving support from the parents, any child can move on past this stage.

Source:

Maple Healthcare, "Maple Healthcare" Maple Healthcare