Is it hard for you to stop your child from thumb sucking habit?
Well, this unhealthy habit is not only present in children but also adults.
1 in 10 adults still sucks their thumbs. This may be because they never stopped doing so since childhood.
Hence, it is a difficult habit to break for sure.
This article discusses what you can do as a parent and as an adult to break this habit which is not healthy for oral health.
Isn’t Thumb Sucking Normal for Children?
Yes, it is completely normal.
Your child is exploring their world as well as their body.
As they achieve their milestones, they form different habits.
So, if your child is a thumb sucker, then they are integrating themselves in the world around them and it also helps them make sense of the world.
They may also be putting different objects in their mouth at this stage, so putting their thumb in their mouth also lies in the same category.
Furthermore, it helps them to decrease their anxiety and soothe them.
Just how hugging stuffed toys can help babies feel at ease, the same way sucking their thumb works to reduce their anxiety, especially before sleep.
They may put themselves to sleep by sucking their thumb.
In fact, children begin this habit in the womb.
Their natural sucking and rooting reflexes direct their thumb or finger to their mouth and get into the sucking action.
Hence, it is a completely natural reflex that makes them feel secure, safe and happy.
While normally children quit this habit by 2 to 4 years old, they may still return to it sometimes.
This can happen when they are in some form of stress and need some soothing before sleep.
Though, if they do not quit by the age of 3 then you should intervene. As this habit can persist well into adulthood.
Therefore, even if it is normal for your child to suck their fingers or thumb, it is unhealthy beyond a certain age.
The benefits of thumb sucking to be that it helps soothe them and reduces their anxiety temporarily.
While it can disrupt the growth of their teeth especially if they continue doing so after their permanent teeth appear.
Consequences and Side Effects of Thumb Sucking
As a parent, you may worry about the consequences this habit will have on your child’s teeth.
It is valid to be concerned because it can lead to oral health problems that can change your child’s teeth and affect their self-esteem in the long run.
Hence, you should stop the behavior and their sucking habits.
It is especially concerning when children develop their adult teeth because they are permanent and will not fall off after like their baby teeth.
Some of the common side effects are:
Misaligned Teeth
Your teeth can misalign, crook and will develop gaps in between them.
Your or your child’s teeth will likely protrude forward known as the anterior open bite.
This happens to both the upper and lower teeth as they come forward slantly.
Moreover, they can also have an open bite. If you close your mouth and your upper and lower teeth do not stick together then it is an open bite.
Moreover, an overbite and overjet can occur in the front teeth. Your teeth will protrude much forward than they would have without this habit.
Rarely do the lower incisors protrude forward rather than the upper teeth.
Also, if they are strongly thumb and finger sucking, then it leads to a cheek muscle reflex in young children. This in return alters the shape of the jaw and causes a crossbite leading to long-term dental problems.
Hence, you can have crooked teeth, an overbite, a misalignment in the jaw and a misaligned bite.
This affects the appearance as well as the bite. Your facial muscles will change according to your teeth shape,
Hence, if your child does not stop timely then this will alter the way they look as well as how well they can eat.
These are not healthy teeth that should be perfectly straight.
Forming a Lisp
When your teeth are out of position then that interferes with your speech.
You cannot speak as clearly as those with perfect teeth.
Hence, when your child is a pre schooler, they may have a lisp as they cannot form proper speech sounds.
Changes in Roof
The roof of the mouth indents and changes shape becoming concave.
This increases the sensitivity to touch and every sensation.
Thumb Problems
If you or your child sucks on their thumb for quite a long while then you can notice physical changes on it.
Your thumb would be longer than normal and its skin will be dry.
This can cause cracks, infection and bleeding.
Furthermore, this will lead to callouses on your thumb if you have been doing it for a long while.
Infections
If your hands are not clean but you still put your thumb in your mouth then this is a gateway for bacteria and dirt.
Eventually, it will lead to teeth or gum infection.
When Should You Intervene?
Children usually give up this habit by they are 6 to 7 months old.
However, some may continue doing it till they are 4.
As soon as they turn 3, you should try your best to remove this habit.
Though permanent teeth appear after 5 to 6 years, prolonging this habit can lead to speech impediments in children with baby teeth.
Moreover, the son you intervene, the easier it will be to remove this habit.
Otherwise, it is harder to get children to stop doing their unhealthy habits as they become stubborn.
Also if your child sucks vigorously then they can damage their primary teeth too but if they just do it lightly then it is easier for them to leave the habit and cause less damage to their teeth.
Moms do put their children on pacifiers as well but it is much easier to stop using them as you can take them away.
However, this way your child may resort to using their thumb instead. So, be careful in your approach.
Find out below the methods that can actually work to stop your child from sucking their fingers and thumbs.
How to Stop It?
If you are an adult who is stuck in this habit then you need to reflect and find out why you do this.
There must be certain triggers that help you get back into the habit. The first step is to identify them.
Is it stress or anxiety?
If you can see the behavior coming because of the situation then try to alleviate your stress by doing deep breathing, taking a walk, doing exercise and some meditation.
You can also continue using chewing gum as well as chewy candies that will prevent you from putting the thumb in your mouth.
Furthermore, try to use bad-tasting nail polishes on your thumb and fingers. They taste bad enough for you to not want to put the thumb back in the mouth.
Alternatively, you can simply cover the thumb with a piece of socks or gloves.
Also, keep your hands busy in the time of stress like using a stress ball or clicking a pen.
If nothing works, seek proper medical advice, diagnosis and treatment.
Adults can still take control of their habits and change them with genuine effort.
However, it is much harder to make children realize what is best or worst for them.
So how should you work around a child with this?
Stopping The Habit in A Child
Parents may get angry and start stopping their children directly. However, this will make them more persistent.
You need to talk with them openly and politely about it.
If you will stop them before educating them about its harms then you will simply scare them or they will start doing it for fun to tease you.
Hence talk to them calmly about how it is bad for you.
Tell them that they will get germs inside their mouth or that they will grow big teeth that they will need teeth braces for.
Sometimes, it is also fine to tell them that their friends may tease them that they are still a small baby.
They may not immediately quit because of these statements but they will still begin to understand that maybe they should stop doing it.
This is a popular device, almost like a bandage that goes around the arms and prevents the thumb of your child from reaching their mouth.
It is pretty effective in preventing this habit as they may get used to it in days.
However, your child may not be able to move their hand for anything else either.
- Notice the time when they start sucking
Notice when they are most likely to suck their thumb. It is mostly TV time and sleep time for children.
If they get their thumb in the mouth more during watching TV then turn it off for a while when you notice them doing it.
Also if they do it unintentionally during sleep then cover their thumb with a sock and attack it with pajama sleeves to prevent their hand from reaching upwards.
A little discipline can go a long way!
- Educate them using videos
Show your child animation or cartoon videos regarding thumb sucking.
When they will see their favorite cartoons explaining to them why it is bad, they may instantly understand it.
At times they listen to their animated peers better than parents.
When you see that your child is making effort to quit the habit then praise them for it continuously.
Give them a reward such as a sticker, extra screen time or a visit to the park so that they are encouraged to continue the behavior.
Let them keep a tab on their performance by marking the dates on the calendar when they avoided the habit.
Conclusion
Your child can stop thumb sucking if you intervene early.
If they do not then their teeth, speech and face structure will get worse.
Adults can take control of their minds and not give in to the urge much better than children.
So, if you are stuck with this habit, it is high time to address it.
