Conditions
Thumbsucking
Thumbsucking is such a common form of behaviour in young children that you might not think of it as a problem – and for lots of kids it isn’t. But if it’s particularly compulsive, or if as they grow older they just won’t stop, then it can be a cause for concern.
Babies can start sucking their thumbs while they are still in the womb, and most newborns will do it within the first few weeks of life. Thumbsucking is a form of stress relief: it comforts children when they are tired or anxious by helping the brain produce certain ‘satisfaction’ endorphins. There are lots of stories about the adverse effects of thumbsucking, but most of them are untrue. Thumbsucking won’t cause buck teeth in adulthood, since children start to lose their milk teeth at around six years anyway, and it’s unlikely that the thumb itself will be damaged or deformed, though the skin can become sore for a while. You can of course give babies a dummy to suck during their first year, which quietens them when they feel anxious or insecure, and which will go some way to stopping them from developing the thumbsucking habit.
Most kids will naturally stop sucking their thumbs by the time they are two or three, but a significant number don’t. This is the point at which it can become more of an issue. Since you can’t take kids’ thumbs away from them, how do you stop them sucking once they get older?
Avoid threats or telling them off, which tend not to be effective. Instead, just gently ask them not to do it, and offer little rewards, praise and reassurance as their behaviour changes. For some kids it’ll be peer pressure which does the trick once they start spending more time with other kids at nursery or school. Either way, positive reinforcement of the behaviour you want should gradually wean them out of the habit.
For more information, see:
Thumb Guard UK
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I am 32 and still suck my thumb, i have done so since a new born. Its not in my hands i cant stop, its mainly at night i wake up and my thumb is sore where my teeth have dug in have and have an overbite too. My daughter is 2 and sucks her thumb ive tried everything cant stop her :( i dont want her to end up like me. Dont know what else i can try x
I'm 15 and because i've sucked my thumb ever since i could remember, i now have an overbite. im getting braces to fix it but i'm not sure if i will be able to stop sucking after i get the braces, advice please?
The dentist has told me to stop my 2yr old suckin her thumb as it will damage teeth and she will need braces
My little boy is nearly nine and is starting a new school soon. I am worried because he is constantly sucking his thumb. I am worried he will get bullied as his existing school is really small and everyone excepts him and his thumb. Any ideas on how I can stop him? Not only for the above reason but he is always getting coughs and colds which I feel relates to the germs he is putting in his mouth. Can anyone give me any words of wisdom. Thanks
You can end this habit with our gloves. http://kizzo.eu/en_US/index
i am 16 and has only just stopped using a dummie witch has damage my teeth so much and made my uper teeth come out can anything be done now so my teeth can be stright
My two year old sucks her thumb and has done since before she was born (shown on scan pics). As much as it offers her comfort we have noticed that the MTP joint is now effected. The thumb can now bend 90 degrees more than a normal thumb. Is this something that needs addressing sooner rather than later? Will it cause future problems with the joint??
I am 14 and I have sucked my thumb since I was a baby, my teeth havnt been affected by it much but I do have braces. I try not to suck my thumb to much, and I try not to suck whilst I'm in bed. But I can't help it if I do it in my sleep. Will sucking my thumb affect my brace or stop it doing its job?
well i am currently sucking my thumb but the dentist is putting my braces on this month but i just ttry to teach my parents and my family to help me remove it from me. or just go to your local pharmacy and ask for nail bitting like nail polish but if you put it in your mouth it dosn't come out because it is parent for 5 days and it is not sweet it is worse from sour
I'm 19 i suck my thumb when i feel like it. About two years ago i stopped until i seen my sister do it then after a while i started.
I am 22 years old and I have been suckinf my thumb since I was a baby. I do not suck my thumb in public and my dentist has not noticed that i do. My family are the only people who know and they do not judge me for it. I am 22 I am old enough to make my own decisions and I seriously doubt I'll stop anytime soon. It relaxes me and makes me who I am. If I stopped I wouldn't be the same person anymore.
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