Babies who suck are often encouraged and pampered by their parents. This is because the habit serves as a form of comfort which keeps the babies calm and busy thereby affording the parent some rest. Some children outgrow sucking while others find it difficult to stop on their own. There is really no big deal in having a child who sucks as long as the permanent teeth are not yet in the mouth. It becomes worrisome if the child is over 6 years and still sucks. At this stage, the child should have started shedding his baby teeth and bringing out his permanent teeth. Depending on the number of times, the length of time and the intensity with which a child sucks, the action of the finger in the mouth will then lead to a number of dental conditions which will need the use of braces to correct later on. This means that you will need to spend money you could have saved on his/her treatment.
You will need to consider intervening and stopping your child’s sucking habit as soon as you realize he/she is beginning to have permanent teeth say by age 5/6 years. If you want your child to stop sucking, you have to use the right means. Some parents have not been successful in the bid to stop the habit because they used harsh means such as putting bitter substances or wrapping the child’s finger. The following ways have been shown to be effective in stopping a child’s sucking habit:
1. Have a talk with your child: Your child needs to know why he/she has to stop the sucking habit. This simply makes your effort easier as the child will be willing to stop if carried along.
2. Provide Rewards for good behavior: promise your child a toy, a treat or whatever he/she likes as a reward for not sucking and be sure to keep your promise.
3. Substitute sucking with other activities: as your child grows, you will notice when he/she sucks. You can distract him/her by replacing the sucking with other activities such as playing a game, helping you with some chores or singing.
4. Giving your child a habit breaker: a habit breaker is usually the last resort. It is an appliance made by the dentist to help your child break his/her habit. It simply works by making the habit uncomfortable by obstructing the position of the finger and is very effective. If every other method fails, the habit breaker will surely stop it.
Finally, exercise some patience with your child and try to offer encouragement rather than being harsh.
See also: Stop Your Child’s Thumb Sucking/Tongue Thrusting Habit and
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