Do pacifiers and thumb-sucking affect my child’s dental health?

Children often use self-soothing techniques to calm themselves down when they are upset. This can include sucking their thumbs or sucking on a pacifier. These are natural habits that children learn on their own, but, unfortunately, they can affect your child’s dental health over time. At Pediatric Dental Specialists in Omaha, Nebraska, we are here to answer any questions you may have about your child’s thumb-sucking or pacifier use, and we can help you wean your child off these potentially bad habits.

How Thumb-Sucking and Pacifiers Can Affect Teeth

A child will often use a pacifier or their thumb as a way to help soothe themselves when they are tired or upset. While it is a natural action, you don’t want it to become a habit.

If your child is using their thumb or a pacifier for too long, it can affect the development of their teeth and the shape of their mouth. Sucking on a thumb or pacifier can cause your child’s top teeth to stick out and their bottom teeth to move inward. This can, in turn, cause an overbite, which will need attention from an orthodontist when they get older.

While these actions are natural for your baby, dentists advise that your child should be weaned from thumb-sucking and pacifier use by the age of four, or before their primary teeth begin to fall out.

When A Parent Should Be Concerned

Normally, a child will wean themselves off a pacifier or thumb for comfort. This can happen as early as six months old, or it may continue until your child is about two or three years old. However, if you find your child is having issues with their speech, or you notice they have difficulty biting into their food, it may be time to intervene.

Most children will break their sucking habits on their own, but it is something parents want to address before their child’s adult teeth begin to come in. Most children begin to lose their baby teeth around the age of five, so working to break the sucking habit before your child goes to preschool or kindergarten is recommended.

Tips for Breaking the Habit

While many children will typically break their thumb-sucking or pacifier use habit themselves, others may need a gentle push. Remember to use positive reinforcement through this transition, and never scold your child or make them feel bad about what they are doing.

It’s important to consider the timing as well. If there are disruptions or big changes coming, such as a house move or even a good change, such as a holiday, it may not be the right time to try and remove a source of comfort.

Find other sources of comfort.

One way to help your child break the sucking habit is to give them a new source of comfort. Many children find a stuffed animal or blanket can help soothe them in a way that isn’t potentially harmful. When your child needs to soothe, offer them their comfort item instead of a pacifier. Make sure you hold your ground as a parent and don’t give in to your child’s fussing over wanting a pacifier. Remind your child that a pacifier isn’t needed when they need comfort.

Rock your child.

Another way parents can help with soothing is by rocking your child to sleep instead of giving them a pacifier. Often, a gentle rocking motion can be all your baby needs to feel comforted. You can also try tucking a blanket around them, which can act as a gentle hug while your child is sleeping.

Make it a special moment.

Some parents choose to mark the occasion that their child gives up their pacifier with a specific celebration. Perhaps they gather up all their pacifiers and put them in a bag to be “gifted” to another child who needs them. Or perhaps your child can leave a pacifier out for the fairies who come and take them away one by one.

If your child wants their pacifier later, you can gently remind them of their kind gesture in giving away their pacifier, praising them for their generous spirit and acknowledging that they are “big” now and don’t need them.

Don’t forget to talk to your child about why they are sucking their thumb or using a pacifier. Find out why they are turning to that action for relief. Is it because they are stressed? Are they looking for comfort? Once you find the root cause, you can help your child redirect from sucking on something to addressing their feelings in another way.

Contact Pediatric Dental Specialists for advice.

If you are concerned with your child’s thumb-sucking habit or use of a pacifier, you can always reach out to Omaha’s Pediatric Dental Specialists. Our staff is well versed in pediatric dentistry, and we can help you and your child navigate all things that come with their oral health journey, including quitting the sucking habit. The next time you and your child are in our office, we can offer tips to help your child stop sucking their thumb or using a pacifier. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!