{"id":509,"date":"2023-02-24T07:24:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T07:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.darbycreekdental.com\/blog\/?p=509"},"modified":"2023-03-02T07:29:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T07:29:55","slug":"how-to-break-the-habit-of-thumb-sucking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.darbycreekdental.com\/blog\/how-to-break-the-habit-of-thumb-sucking\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips to Help Break Your Child from Sucking Their Thumb"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"a<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

February is not only the time to celebrate love with Valentine\u2019s Day\u2014it\u2019s also a celebration of your child\u2019s smile because it\u2019s Children\u2019s Dental Health Month! You want to do everything you can to help keep their teeth and gums healthy as they grow. While it is perfectly normal for children to suck their thumbs until they are a toddler, it has the potential to negatively affect your child\u2019s oral development if allowed to persist for too long. Read on to learn more about thumb sucking and its impact on your little one\u2019s precious growing smile<\/a>, along with helpful tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Does Thumb-Sucking Impact Oral Development?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned before, thumb sucking is a natural reflex that many experts believe acts as a means of self-comfort. In most cases, babies and toddlers who partake in this habit are very unlikely to negatively impact their oral development. Children usually grow out of sucking their thumbs between the ages of two and four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the age of four, key parts of your little one\u2019s mouth and jaws begin to develop. If they are still sucking on their thumb by the age of five or six, or if their finger sucking is aggressive and involves a lot of jaw movement, this once harmless habit can begin to cause long-term complications. The extra pressure can significantly influence how their mouth forms, leading to issues like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n