At ProActive Dental Studio in Surrey, our dentists can help you and your child work together to break childhood habits like thumb sucking.
Breaking the Thumb Sucking Habit
Thumb sucking in babies and young children is a normal, self-soothing behaviour, as you likely know, as a parent. However, although most children typically out grow this habit, some don't.
This can become a problem when the permanent teeth begin to grow in, since continued thumb sucking can push them out of alignment over time.
Ideally, children should stop thumb sucking well before their permanent teeth begin to erupt (generally by age 5).
If you are finding it difficult to get your child to break this habit, we can help.
We can create a dental appliance, which is cemented behind your child's front teeth, to discourage thumb sucking. The appliance isn't uncomfortable, but it helps make thumb sucking less enjoyable.