If you have a thumb sucker in your house, take heart: It’s probably not a problem.
Although doctors still aren’t sure why some kids suck their thumbs and others don’t, it starts when kids are babies and find their fingers or thumb during teething and use the sucking mechanism to self-soothe, said Dr. John LaCount, a pediatrician with St. Elizabeth Physicians’ Florence office. But, typically, most kids outgrow thumb-sucking by age 4.
“Most of the time, when kids start daycare or preschool, they begin to suppress the habit,” he said. “The vast majority will grow out of it on their own and won’t need assistance.”
That’s good news for dentists. Thumb sucking becomes a problem as kids reach ages 5 and 6 and their primary (baby) teeth are about to fall out. Most kids will end up needing braces because thumb sucking creates an exaggerated overbite, La Count said.
Thumb sucking also is bad for germs, which kids can pick up and then inadvertently transfer to their mouths when sucking their thumbs or fingers.
“I usually tell families that if their kids keep their thumbs and hands out of their mouths they won’t get that cough, congestion, sore throat, or strep,” he said. “That’s often a big motivator for parents.”
If your child is 4 and still sucking his or her thumb, there are some things you can do to help squash the habit. Identify the triggers, substitute a blanket, toy, or stuffed animal in its place, use star charts or a reward system, or use perfume or something that tastes bitter on the thumb to discourage your child from sucking.
But, La Count said, involving your child is your best bet.
“If your child buys into it, invests in it, and is engaged, most of the time he’s going to stop,” he said.
And if your child is 4 and only sucking his or her thumb at night, La Count isn’t worried: “If at that age they’re doing it sporadically, that’s not much of an issue,” he said.
But do know that kids sometimes fall back into the habit when faced with a stressful situation.
