Thumb Sucking

If thumb sucking continues past age 3, especially if the child is sleeping with the thumb in their mouth, it can cause orthodontic issues that are difficult to reverse. Because of this, Dr. Church encourages parents to attempt to have the child stop sucking their thumb during the age of 2.

If simply discouraging the behavior does not seem to work, there are a few techniques parents can try:

1 – Applying a nail polish designed for this very thing can be effective. These nail polishes do not taste very good and are meant to dissuade the child from sucking on it. Parents report mixed results, but it is an inexpensive and simple method. Here are some nail polishes that I know parents have used with some success:

• Mavala Stop (Can be found on Amazon) For kids 3 years old or older.
• Stop Nail Biting (Can be found on Amazon) For any age.

2 – Have the child wear a thumb guard. There are many options for this, but I would also recommend shopping online to find a guard that seems like it will be the right fit for your child. A good guard is one that cannot be easily removed by the child and does not allow for suction to take place if it is placed in the mouth.

If neither of these are effective, there are orthodontic appliances that can be placed in the mouth that cannot be removed, and will not allow suction to take place.

These methods may not be very much fun for the child, but these are much better than potentially lengthy orthodontic treatment to correct issues with the palate, jaws, and teeth that could come from prolonged thumb sucking.