Many children develops tendencies of sucking on their thumbs, but a prolonged habit may affect the development and natural alignment of their teeth. If your child’s thumb sucking is a concern, our dentist can work with you and your child to permanently break the habit.
The risks of thumb sucking include delayed tooth development, and it’s important to help children overcome these habits quickly. The age of four is when most children start to see their permanent teeth, and this is the point that they should be discouraged from sucking on thumbs, fingers, or pacifiers. Of these, the use of pacifiers is often easiest to quit.
Your child may suck their thumb as a method of self-comfort and protection. We invite you to try praising them and building their confidence to help them move past thumb sucking. If they seem to insist on thumb sucking, your pediatrician may recommend applying a substance to their fingers that is safe but unpleasant-tasting so that they become unenthusiastic about their habit.
Your child’s teeth can last a lifetime if they receive proper care. We invite you to learn more about how to stop thumb sucking in Dacula, Georgia, by calling Dacula Family Dentistry at 770-995-1600 today and speaking our dentist, Dr. Carey Norton, about preventing thumb sucking.
