Thumbsucking is a non-nutritive, self-soothing habit that is a normal part of development during infancy. After a certain period, extended habits can have negative consequences on the child's oral development (e.g., crowding of teeth, narrow arch development, becoming a chronic mouth-breather). I always recommend starting this habit weaning journey with a conversation with your child. You'd be surprised, toddlers understand so much more than we give them credit for. Positive reinforcement systems like putting a star sticker on a calendar each day your child goes without the habit, and verbal praises like, "I see you remembered to take your thumb out on your own, good job!' are highly effective. Good news is that we generally see most of our patients discontinue the habit at an optimal time. For older kids that continue to have the habit, pediatric dentists can make an appliance that helps to stop thumbsucking.
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