Thumb sucking & oral habits

Thumb & finger sucking

Many young children suck their thumbs, fingers or pacifiers to feel secure and relax. Most stop by age 3 or 4, but sucking for too long can interfere with the growth and alignment of teeth.

Children should stop before their permanent teeth are ready to come in. If we’ve mentioned concern about your child’s thumb sucking, a few things can help:

• Address the root cause. Kids often suck their thumbs when they feel insecure or need comfort, so helping them feel secure or find comfort in other ways can replace the habit.
• Reward your child for going a certain amount of time without thumb sucking.
• If the habit is subconscious, try bandaging the thumb or using another gentle reminder.

Ask us at your next visit for more suggestions. Your child needs your support and understanding while breaking the habit.

Pacifiers, bottles & sippy cups

Bottles: Infants and young children have a much higher risk of tooth decay if they’re often put to bed (for a nap or the night) with a bottle of juice or milk. Sugars pool around the teeth during sleep, letting bacteria produce acids that wear away enamel. Avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle of anything other than water, and wipe their gums and teeth with a damp washcloth or gauze after each feeding.

Sippy cups should only be used for a short time to help infants move from a bottle to a regular cup. Don’t let your child carry around a sippy cup of anything other than water during the day. Juice, milk and other sugary drinks can quickly grow bacteria that increase the chance of cavities.

Grinding

Many children grind their teeth at night due to stress or inner-ear pressure. Most of the time this doesn’t cause a major problem, and children outgrow it between ages 9 and 12. In some cases, grinding can wear down a child’s teeth, and we may recommend a night guard to protect them.