One of the hardest parts of parenting can be helping your child to stop sucking their thumb or on a pacifier. This is challenging because often times the pacifier or thumb is what helps your child fall asleep and stay asleep at night. However, if these habits are not stopped at the right time, serious dental problems and speech impediments can occur. One common way that parents help their children change these
behaviours is by setting strict rules as to when their child can use one, such as only when they are in bed for the night.
Another way to help children stop the habit of sucking their thumbs is to cover their hands with socks while they sleep so that they can’t get to their thumbs while they’re sleeping. Some parents find that it helps to use tape to help keep the socks in place throughout the night. You can also try implementing a rewards chart so that your child can visually see the progress they are making. A positive attitude can help your child feel confident in themselves and help speed the process along. Praising their success rather than scolding their failure is fundamental.
If these solutions don’t work for your child, you can also ask your dentist about
prescribing a bitter-tasting medication. Coating their pacifier or their thumb in a bitter-tasting medication can help them learn to stop because they won’t want to have the taste in their mouth. Always make sure to be very careful with the kind of topical ointment you use. Some bitter-tasting things can actually be very harmful to children, so it’s best to check
with one of our dentists or doctor before using any household items. Getting a prescribed bitter-tasting medication is a safe way to help your child stop.
Other methods for helping your child stop using a pacifier revolve around getting rid of the satisfaction of sucking on it by cutting it shorter or piercing it through. This lessens the satisfaction that children get from sucking on the pacifier and therefore lessens their desire for it. Some parents have found that leaving the pacifier behind on a family trip or outing is a good way of helping their child quit the habit. Some have even found that taking all of the pacifiers away and going cold turkey has proven successful in helping their child to stop.
It’s also important to remember that when older children suck their thumbs, it’s often a result of feelings of insecurity, discomfort, or anxiety — you can help them stop by listening to their emotional needs and helping them to feel comfort, love, and support. When they are emotionally healthy and stable, their symptomatic and reactive thumb-sucking can stop and dental damage can be avoided.
Thumb-sucking or using pacifiers are not inherently bad things for your children, but they can create unfortunate dental problems if these habits are not stopped at the right time. Use these tips to help your child before their teeth are affected.
