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Thumb sucking
NEW GUIDELINES FOR PARENTS OF THUMB-SUCKERS
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, have developed new guidelines for parents of thumb-suckers. The study found that it is best to intervene when your child is between the ages of 4-6 years old.
The reasoning is that at these ages, the children have not yet developed protruding (buck) teeth and/or other conditions that may necessitate orthodontic intervention.
Some approaches that can be taken, according to Brett Larson, D.D.S., M.S., Mayo Clinic orthodontist is the following:
- Have your dentist or pediatrician explain to your child, with photos, what problems can result from thumb-sucking.
- Identify when your child is most prone to thumb-suck, for example, while relaxing or when over-stressed. Let him or her know that if they feel any of these ways, to be careful not to thumb-suck at these times.
- Get a calendar and place it in a visible location. Place a gold star sticker on any half or full day that the child does not thumb-suck. This should make the child feel much more motivated instead of negative comments, which may make the child feel worse.
