{"id":279,"date":"2024-02-07T11:46:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-07T11:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/?p=279"},"modified":"2024-03-11T23:46:55","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T23:46:55","slug":"how-to-break-thumb-sucking-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/2024\/02\/07\/how-to-break-thumb-sucking-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Up: Why & How to Break Your Child\u2019s Thumb-Sucking Habits"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

You may think February doesn\u2019t have events suited to little kids. After all, most link it to Groundhog Day or Valentine\u2019s Day – holidays for adults. However, this period marks a time even your tiny tots can honor: Children\u2019s Dental Health Month. February is thus meant to promote your child\u2019s oral health<\/a>. If your little one still sucks their thumb, you can even help them celebrate it. Read on to learn why and how to break thumb-sucking habits this February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Why is Thumb-Sucking an Issue?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At least at first, thumb-sucking has its uses. It helps infants and toddlers manage stress, cope with teething, etc. That said, the habit becomes risky if it persists past age five. Your toddler\u2019s teeth might become misaligned in that case. (This misalignment is also known as a malocclusion.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, chronic thumb-sucking is likely to cause an open bite. This issue occurs when the top and bottom teeth don\u2019t touch one another, even when the mouth is closed. If left untreated, It can cause chewing pain, tooth decay, and gum disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Break a Child\u2019s Thumb-Sucking Habit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, you can help your child break their thumb-sucking habit. It\u2019s just a matter of using the right tips and tricks. In particular, try using the ones listed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive Reinforcement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You know how little kids like to hear a parent\u2019s praise, right? Well, this truth can help break a thumb-sucking habit. Gently praise and encourage your child to adopt better behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This positive reinforcement can take a great many forms. For instance, you might reward your kiddo with a bedtime story when they don\u2019t suck their thumb. Similarly, you can set attainable goals like \u201cno thumb-sucking an hour before bed.\u201d Putting stickers on a calendar could record days when your child doesn\u2019t engage in thumb-sucking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify Their Stressors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your child may suck their thumb in response to a stressor. In that case, identify the real issue and provide comfort in other ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many nice alternatives your toddler could take up. Consider soothing them with a hug or reassuring words. On the other hand, you might give your child a pillow or stuffed animal to squeeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offer Gentle Reminders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, a child sucks their thumb without thought. It\u2019s just an unconscious action instead of something they try to do. Given that fact, simply offer gentle reminders for them to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be clear, don\u2019t be harsh when reminding your child. You shouldn\u2019t scold, criticize, or ridicule them. Instead, just explain that the thumb-sucking is something to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you know why and how to break thumb-sucking habits, your whole family can celebrate Children\u2019s Dental Health Month. So, make sure to note the facts above!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Amaze Dental<\/a> is based in DeSoto, TX. Led by Drs. Najjar<\/a> and Le<\/a>, our practice treats dental patients of all ages. We gladly serve kids, seniors, and everyone in between! So, our team is always ready to offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, as well as emergency dental care. Our office is also a certified provider of clear aligner treatments and dental sedation options. For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on <\/em>our website<\/em><\/a> or by phone at (972)-230-1100<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You may think February doesn\u2019t have events suited to little kids. After all, most link it to Groundhog Day or Valentine\u2019s Day – holidays for adults. However, this period marks a time even your tiny tots can honor: Children\u2019s Dental Health Month. February is thus meant to promote your child\u2019s oral health. If your little one still sucks their thumb, you can even help them celebrate it. Read on to learn why and how to […] (Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":282,"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279\/revisions\/282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amazedentaldesoto.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}