In my 20th week ultrasound picture, I saw it: A thumb in my child’s mouth. It was cute then. It was, as my OB said, something that most babies do when discovering parts of their body in utero. When she was born, she didn’t suck her thumb, but by three months, she did. “It’s just her way of self-soothing,” said her pediatrician. “It’s natural and she’ll be done with it within a few months.
A few months came and went and my toddler was still sucking her thumb. I wasn’t worried, however, because I believed as my pediatrician told me that she would stop when she was ready. And because I thought my daughter and I were on the same page, I thought we’d be done by the time she was six months, or maybe 12 months, or… I’m not really sure. I just knew that our whole “thing” with her thumb would end soon.
But then six months came and went. And twelve months came and went. Then eighteen months came and went. Then twenty-four months came and went. And…she was still sucking her thumb. By two, she had practically all of her baby teeth, so I began to have some concerns about the effects of her thumb on her beautiful smile. And my concerns were validated at her first dentist appointment that came at twenty-six month.
“You’ve got to get her to stop,” said our dentist. She then proceeded to talk about jaw lines and some 40-year-old thumb-sucking patient that she once had who can no longer chew cheese. I was panicked, but calm when I asked, “But how?” To this she suggested hot sauce, tape, anything that could make her want to stop the habit. And if we don’t stop, she said in so many words, we would have a 40-year thumb sucker on our hands who would be unable to chew cheese.
If nothing else, I want my baby to grow up to chew cheese, so we must do something, right? So we need her to stop, but all the dentists’ suggested methods haven’t worked. Now, along with craving hot sauce, she likes to get taped thumbs for her “boo boos.”
So, what now?
Do you have a thumb-sucking toddler? Have you staged an “intervention” or do you plan to wait it out?
Andrea
Friday 22nd of June 2012
Google Thumbuddy To Love....great product to help children stop thumb sucking and kids love it!
Jessica
Saturday 16th of June 2012
Thank you for all of your wonderful suggestions! I really like the braided necklace idea! Awesome! @Sarah She usually just keeps it in her mouth at nap or bedtime to go to sleep, but it usually slides out when she's fast asleep. During the day, it's only in her mouth when she's tired or doing something boring. I try to keep her entertained, so that daytime sucking hasn't been as much of a "problem."
Sarah
Thursday 14th of June 2012
Your dentist is WAY over the top. I will give you that how much your child sucks is a variable to take into account. Does she talk well? Does she keep it out of her mouth most of the time, but it slides in when tired, upset or bored? Our 4 yo still sucks, when she's tired mostly (and bored, like in the car). My husband listened to the dentist and started to push her to stop - but tell a 4 yo to stop doing something is asking for a power struggle! The pediatrician told us that it's not necessary yet to push, and by 6 we should see a decrease. Most kids (even non-suckers) get braces these days - and bite correction is part of the deal. Don't turn a soothing technique into a power struggle...it's just not worth it. The dentist may be concerned with her bite, but I'm more concerned with my daughter's emotional health.....
But I do LOVE the necklace idea....may use that next year when we start trying again!
Erica
Thursday 14th of June 2012
They sell this bitter stuff that you can paint on her nail, but you have to apply it several times a day. So kids apparently end up liking it so it may not work. You also should have a great prize at the end for stopping. My sister bribed 3 of her girls with piering their ears. My good friend just bribed her daughter with an American Girls doll. The combo can do it, but a 2 year old is a bit young for long term bribing. Also, your dentist might be a bit over the top. You need to get the habbit kicked before the adult teeth are in, and ideally by 4 yrs old (adult teeth average around 6 yrs old). Good luck!
jennj
Thursday 14th of June 2012
Oh the dentist is ridiculous! As long as your child doesn't do in constantly, if she stops beforekindergarten she should be fine, unless there is a genetic predisposition to oral issues. My parents had 5 kids who all sucked their thumbs but all but 1 grew out of it early on. The one that still did it, snuck it later into teen years. This sibiling of mine has mild overbite, a little more protruding in the very front. I know two people that suck their thumbs as adults and they have severe palate and dental malformations from it. My child is 2 and sucks a pacifier. I'm not worried yet, though I almost wish he'd suck his thumb instead. I like the prek teacher's idea, very positive and simple, no battle or stress!