You might think that thumb sucking is normal, and it is for a while. But if your child keeps up the habit past a certain point, they will need to stop to avoid physical, emotional, and social problems. Not only are there a lot of consequences that can result from thumb sucking, it can be the sign of other development issues. Luckily there are a variety of methods you can use to stop your child from continuing the bad habit of thumb sucking including T Guards, mavala nail polish, and others.
Negative Consequences
The list of negative consequences that thumb sucking can cause isn’t short. Not only does the habit lead to open and overbite malocclusion, which is when the teeth are misaligned when the mouth closes, it can result in other physical issues as well as emotional ones. When the teeth are directed outwards with malocclusion, they may need to be fixed with orthodontic work.
Furthermore, thumb sucking results in other physical issues. It can irritate the skin, cause ingrown nails, cracking, callousing, peeling, and bleeding. When the thumb is exposed to the moisture of the mouth, it can become vulnerable to all kinds of problems. In addition to skin irritation and the issues that result, other physical results include speech impediments. The habit can make certain sounds hard for the child to say and affect the teeth, jaw, and palate. It can even impact the way your child eats.
Beyond the physical issues and speech-related problems, the emotional and development results can be quite profound. Thumb sucking is one of the first coping mechanisms that children learn. It is an emotional strategy and a way to stop teething pain, but beyond this early stage of life it can damage the child’s development.
They can have trouble coping in new ways, expressing themselves, and fitting in socially. Kids are cruel and may make fun of your child if they are thumb sucking too late. The social and emotional development of the kid can suffer, leading to other bad habits in the future. That’s why it’s important to use the tools you have at your disposal to get your child to stop this bad habit.
Methods to Stop Them
The most effective method to get your child to stop thumb sucking is a T Guard. This is an effective plastic guard that you strap around your child’s wrist, preventing them from sucking on that thumb. It will take away the comfort and pleasure of thumb sucking, usually getting the kid to stop.
There are also less invasive versions of a thumb guard. One is called the thumbsie, which is essentially the cloth equivalent. Your child will probably not enjoy sucking on cloth as much as they do their thumb. Furthermore, there is the Dr. Finger, which is a downgraded version of the T Guard for children who don’t have as bad of a habit of thumb sucking.
If the problem is really bad, you can use a hand stopper. This is a brace put around the elbow, prohibiting the child from getting their thumb up to their mouth. Obviously this is for more extreme cases of thumb sucking, but may be necessary if the others don’t work.
Finally, there is also something called mavala nail polish. This nail polish was specifically-designed to taste bad so that when you paint your child’s nails with it, they will taste horrible when your child sucks on them. Nail polish like this can really help when your children don’t respond to the physical barriers to their thumb. It will provide a method for them to stop because their thumbs taste so bad.
When your child is sucking their thumbs long passed the point they should stop, it is necessary to use these methods. If one doesn’t work, try another. Use them in tandem with each other. However, when you can’t get your kid to end the bad habit, you may want to take them to a doctor for an emotional development evaluation. The habit will both physically and emotionally harm your child in a variety of ways if you don’t do what’s necessary to stop it.
