Before I had kids, I used to say - my kids will NEVER..... It was one of my favorite things to say, actually. Among those "NEVERS": pacifiers and thumb-sucking. My sister was a thumb sucker - I remember how hard it was for my mom to break that habit. And I just assumed a pacifier would be just as hard. Then, I had kids.
When the only thing to help my oldest kiddo sleep at night or fall asleep for naps was a pacifier, I caved. And when the youngest came along and was already sucking his thumb in utero, what more could I do? It's not like I could reach inside and remove the thumb! (Oh My! Wouldn't that be something!?)
So, I sat down to chat with Dr. Bevin Malley at Carolina Kids Dentistry about these pesky suckers and learned that sucking (paci or thumb) isn't all bad - but at some point, it becomes problematic!
Let's talk about the benefits first:
- It's great for the first year to help with self-soothing
- It will help children learn to nutritively suck
- It can be helpful in preventing ear infections (mostly with Pacifiers)
- Studies show that it can be helpful in preventing SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
But Dr. Malley says that after the first year, you probably want it gone! She suggested, for pacifiers, that you try to limit it to nights and naps ONLY because otherwise you can see some permanent damage!
- It can move the teeth
- It can reshape the mouth which impacts eating and speech
- It can influence the need for braces where that may not naturally exist
- For Thumb-sucking, it also introduces germs to the body from touch to mouth causing illness (in our family's case - we had MORE ear infections because he kept introducing sick germs to his body that he may not have otherwise!)
Dr. Malley suggest you try to stop by/around 3 years of age. So what can we do to curb these habits? She suggests you first try to celebrate becoming a big boy or big girl and drive that home - most kids know that pacifiers and thumb-sucking is usually associated with "baby behavior." If that's not enough, we've broken down some tips for you here.
Pacifiers
- Introduce the Paci-Fairy: talk about leaving the pacifiers for the Paci-Fairy who will trade your child their pacifiers for a new big-kid toy
- Have a Paci-Sendoff: tie the pacifiers to balloons and launch them into the air while saying goodbye
- Progressively cut down the pacifier nub so that the sucking is fruitless
- Try a reward chart: if your child is old enough to understand the idea of a reward chart, this is a great tool that allows them to control their behavior
Thumb Suckers: Thumb sucking is a bit harder because you cannot just give it away or cut it down. Most thumb-suckers stop sucking their thumbs later than pacifiers, so your techniques will appeal to reason and logic! Most will stop instinctively when they go to school - peer pressure helps with that - and only do it in private. So here's what you can do to help that along: 
- Talk about germs and sickness - explain that when they put their hands in their mouth, they are introducing germs to their bodies that can make them sick. Most kids hate being sick!
- Take away the "lovey" - most thumb-suckers suck when they have their favorite lovey or blanket. With that gone, they don't instinctively go to suck.
- Mavalstop is a disgusting-tasting nail polish that you apply daily and lasts for 24 hours. The caveat: YOU MUST USE IT DAILY OR IT WON'T CURB THE BEHAVIOR. Consistency will be king here!
- NipIT and T-Guard are two devices you can apply to the hand to make it impossible to suck. This is best for night-time suckers who are really trying to stop but cannot prevent it at night while sleeping. NipIT is designed for finger and thumb sucking whereas T-Guard is designed for thumbs only.
- Reward Chart: most kids at this age know how this works and are willing to try it!
- Some kids will stop when they begin to lose their front teeth, only because its harder!
- Habit Appliance is your last resort - and Carolina Kids Dentistry will only employ it after you've exhausted your other options. It is an appliance that goes into the mouth and attaches to the molars to prevent the thumb (or fingers) from being successfully inserted into the mouth. It will typically stay in the mouth for 6 months BEYOND when the parent says the habit has been broken.
Having successfully dropped the pacifier with my oldest, I can tell you that we did the Paci-fairy really effectively and he hasn't every asked for one since. I can also say we are struggling with the thumb sucking. I have noticed now that we talk about germs (thanks COV19) and don't have our lovey with us as regularly as we once had, he has stopped daytime sucking. I'll keep you posted on the night-time sucking when we can curb that entirely!
One last reminder that Dr. Malley suggested is that you make sure your child is seeing the pediatric dentist regularly starting at (or even before) the age of 1. Carolina Kids Dentistry has two locations - one in Mint Hill and one in Waxhaw - and offers a free first visit for children before the age of 18 months. Let them check out your kiddo and make sure you are on-track and healthy.
Waxhaw Location: 9817 Suzanne Ct., Waxhaw NC 28173 | (980) 339-8720
Mint Hill Location: 5829 Phyliss Ln., Mint Hill, NC 28227 | (704) 790-0590
