What if I can’t get my child to stop sucking their thumb?
Okay. I am a parent also, so let’s be real. Despite some of my best and most deceptive efforts (bribery included), there are still things I just cannot get my two-foot tall bosses to do. Some try money. Others try candy. Others just try discipline. Yet, the thumb prevails over all. So then what? Well, unfortunately for your child (but fortunately for you), there is an alternative. If they don’t stop by age four, a trip to your dentist is recommended. You see, we have a special device made to cure thumb-sucking. It’s not pretty and it doesn’t hurt, but it will work. The appliance is called a “palatal crib” or “thumb-sucking appliance.”
The appliance looks a little like a medieval dental retainer but is painless. It is cemented to the child’s top teeth and spans the width of the roof of the mouth (also known as the hard palate). The smooth wire that makes that span does not allow the thumb to make the suction that is needed to perform the sucking motion. Voila! No gratification in sucking anymore. Eventually, (sometimes a few weeks or months) the child will no longer have the desire/addiction to suck their thumb or fingers and the appliance is easily removed. If your regular dentist is not comfortable making or placing this appliance, they may refer you to a pediatric dentist.
The appliance of course, should be your last resort. Your child-rearing books again are filled with a multitude of tactics and tricks, depending on your parenting style. Try a few and see what works best for your child. Some will recommend positive reinforcement or discipline while others will recommend a terrible tasting, harmless potion to place on the thumb or finger. Since each child is so different, what may work for one may not work for another. So, you will just have to be patient and persistent until you find what works for you!
Tags: Addiction, Bribery, Candy, Child Rearing, Dental Retainer, Discipline, Fingers, Gratification, Hard Palate, Last Resort, Multitude, Palatal Crib, Parenting Style, Pediatric Dentist, Positive Reinforcement, Potion, Roof Of The Mouth, Smooth Wire, Span, Thumb Sucking