Newborn Thumb & Finger Sucking Therapy

Helping Newborn Overcome Thumb Sucking

There are many reasons a child sucks their thumb. Whether it’s for comfort, out of habit, or boredom, thumb sucking is normal for young children. However, as a child grows older, this habit can become problematic and may have consequences for their dental health. At Pediatric Dentistry of Fredericksburg, we offer newborn thumb & finger sucking therapy in Fredericksburg to help your child break the thumb-sucking habit, ensuring it doesn’t pose a problem down the road.

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How Does Thumb Sucking Affect Your Child’s Teeth?

While most children stop the habit at a young age, between two and four years of age, some children continue thumb sucking for many years. Past the age of four, this habit can cause problems with a child’s mouth and teeth, especially when their permanent teeth begin to come in. If a child continues to engage in this behavior, it can have consequences such as:

  • Overbite

  • Open bite, or when there is a space between the lower and upper teeth, causing the teeth not to touch when the child closes their mouth

  • Lisp or speech impediment

  • Changing the shape of the roof of the mouth, such as causing a narrow upper palate

  • Malocclusion, or misaligned permanent teeth

  • Exposing your child to harmful bacteria

Expert newborn thumb & finger sucking therapy near Fredericksburg to help your child develop healthy oral habits.

How To Break The Newborn Finger Sucking Habit?

If your child is over four years old and is still routinely thumb sucking, it may be time to break the habit. Positive reinforcement is always recommended as you work with your child to develop healthier coping mechanisms and healthier dental habits. We recommend the following tips to help your child break their bad habit:

To aid in preventing thumb sucking, try setting easy, attainable goals. For example, encourage your child to only suck their thumb during certain hours of the day. If they achieve the goals you have set, reward your child with positive reinforcement and/or small rewards.

This goes hand-in-hand with using positive reinforcement. When discouraging thumb sucking, ensure you encourage your child whenever they successfully stop. Give them hugs, high-fives, and plenty of praise to motivate them to do their best and not give up.

If your child is sucking their thumb due to stress or anxiety, helping them manage their stress can also help them overcome their habit. This includes finding coping mechanisms and/or figuring out their stressors or triggers.

If positive reinforcement is not working and you need an alternative prevention method, a thumb guard is another option. A thumb guard is a piece of plastic that covers your child’s thumb, which physically prevents them from placing it into their mouth.

There are several bitter solutions on the market that can help break your child’s habit. Whether in a cream, nail polish or another formula, a bitter solution tastes bad. This discourages your child from placing their thumb into their mouth.

If you have tried the above methods and are still having trouble helping your child overcome their habit, or if you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to our office at (540) 371-3222. We offer newborn thumb & finger sucking therapy near Fredericksburg and will be happy to discuss ways to help!

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1300 Thornton St, Suite 101
Fredericksburg, VA