Tips:
Praise children for not sucking,
instead of scolding them when they
are.
Children often suck their thumbs
when feeling insecure or needing
comfort.
Focus on correcting the cause
of the anxiety and provide comfort to your child.
For an older child, involve
him or her in choosing the method
of stopping.
Your dentist can offer
encouragement to a child and explain
what could
happen to their teeth if they do not stop sucking.
If the above tips don’t
work, remind the child of
their habit by bandaging
the thumb or putting a sock
on the hand at night. Your dentist
or pediatrician
may prescribe a bitter medication
to coat the thumb or the
use of a mouth
appliance.
