Q: Is thumb sucking harmful for children?

A: Thumb sucking can be bad for children. Children who continue to suck their thumb may have dental problems.  Their teeth may be pushed outward or be poorly aligned which is called malocclusion.  The longer thumb sucking persists, the greater likelihood the child will need orthodontic treatment to fix the teeth.  Some children may have difficulty talking who have prolonged thumb sucking.  Some children may get skin infections of their thumb from thumb sucking.

Q: Are there any benefits to thumb sucking?

A: Thumb sucking helps babies soothe and comfort themselves when they are tired, scared, hungry, or even bored.

Q: How can I get my child to stop sucking his or her thumb?

A: After age 4-5 years old, it’s appropriate for parents to set limits about thumb sucking such when and where children are allowed to suck their thumb.

• Show your child in a mirror what she looks like when she sucks her thumb.
• Offer ways to distract your child during the day to keep his hands busy like doing crafts, drawing, coloring, or puzzles.
• Praise your child for not sucking her thumb! Setting up a sticker chart or other reward system for not thumb-sucking can be beneficial.

• Putting a bandage on the thumb can also help make the child stop sucking his thumb

Q: What about pacifiers? Are they harmful or beneficial and when should a child stop using a pacifier?

A: Pacifier use like thumb sucking also is beneficial helping babies soothe themselves.  Pacifier use has also been shown to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.   However, pacifier use is linked to an increase risk of ear infections and continued use can cause dental problems such as malocclusion which is seen with thumb sucking as well.

Q: What can parents do to help wean a child off of their pacifier once they become too old for it?

A: Initially limit the pacifier to naps, bedtime, and stressful situations.  Then limit the pacifier to only in bed.  Then get rid of it completely!  (This is usually the toughest step!!)  Parents need to be ready to put up with a struggle and a crying child for a few nights with this.  Usually a few nights is all it takes.  When parents start this, they should make sure they collect all the pacifiers around the house.  Sometimes kids hide them in toys and various places so parents shouldn’t be surprised if they find their child with a pacifier while playing later!

These tips should work well at home and at child daycare centers.

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Toddlers must use only a pea-size of toothpaste and a toothbrush with soft bristles. The staff in day care must closely supervise the brushing of children to assure that they are not swallowing the toothpaste. But if someone still does not know how to spit, non-fluoridated toothpaste must be used.

Encourage Toddlers to Brush

It is a normal situation for a toddler to resist brushing. So this requires plenty of effort to practice him to brush. The following are simple tips to help the toddler enjoy his brushing activity:

• Offer electric toothbrush to the child, which is loaded with designs and colours. Children are attracted to bright colours and cartoon characters. The child will enjoy brushing and at the same time enjoy the benefits of an electric toothbrush.

• To achieve the recommended two minute brushing time and eventually become a habit, use a musical timer or let the child sing.

• You can give exciting rewards to the child after he successfully brushed his teeth. You can give colourful stickers and other things that he enjoys to have.

• You have to be a role model to the child with regards to dental hygiene. He must see how you brush and floss after meals. He can easily learn the techniques of brushing if you will brush your teeth with him.

Different Dental Health Activities and Lessons in Day Care

• Incorporate in your lesson plan the topics on dental care. You can discuss the role of a dentist and the importance of regular dental visitation. Make them aware of the right food to take to have healthy teeth and how to prevent cavities.

• During your storytelling activity, you may read books that are related to tooth brushing. You can try Brush Your Teeth Please in the 1993 issue of Reader’s Digest.

• You can browse the site of Colgate for free dental kits. This kit includes handouts, teaching aids, curriculum ideas, and some dental activities.

• You can also conduct a puppet show presentation which focuses on dental habit. You can put some dental items in the presentation so that children can “play dentist” such as toothbrush, toothpaste, dental mirrors, dental chair, white smocks, etc.

With these dental lessons and varied activities, the children will enjoy and at the same time learn good dental habits. Bear in mind that they can not sufficiently brush their teeth yet therefore you have brush them also as follow up every time they finish brushing to develop their independence. A child can be unsupervised at the age of around six to seven.

See: How to start a daycare business

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