My five-year-old is still sucking her thumb. I am growing very worried she’s going to need braces if this keeps up. Plus she is starting school soon. What can I do to stop this?
Lydia
Dear Lydia,
We worry about everything when it comes to our children, don’t we? Here’s the good news. While she is still with baby teeth there will be no permanent damage to her bite. When children end up needing braces is when they suck their thumb well into their older childhood years and their permanent teeth are in.
As a dentist who has treated children for years, I’ve noticed that most of the time if parents don’t make a big deal out of the child needing to stop sucking their thumb, they usually do it on their own. For those who don’t, going to school and experiencing some mild peer pressure usually does the trick.
Occasionally, you’ll get a child who has the habit so engrained they have a hard time quitting even when they want to. If that is something you run into with your daughter, you can try something called Thum. It is a liquid you can put on her thumb that tastes quite nasty. If a child is ready to quit, this will help.
This blog is brought to you by Auburn Family Dentist Dr. Raymond Bolt.