Children and Dentist Houston

Addressing Thumb-Sucking Problems

Children and dentist Houston are the perfect combination at Marquette Dentistry. We work with parents to ensure the health of the children’s teeth, beginning at the infancy stage. Common issues that we help parents with include thumb sucking and using a pacifier. When a child rests the thumb in the mouth passively, there is a reduced likelihood of experiencing dental problems. Vigorous thumb-sucking, however, can affect the primary baby teeth. The same is true with the use of pacifiers, though sucking a pacifier has proven to be an easier habit to break, of the two. Children and dentist in Houston can help resolve the issue or, as needed, address the damage that is done. Cosmetic dentistry is among our specialties.

Challenges of Breaking the Habit of Thumb-Sucking

Parents along with children and dentist Houston can face the challenge of kicking the habit of sucking thumbs and pacifiers. Parents should know that a pacifier should never be dipped in honey, sugar, or other sweeteners before giving it to an infant. Not only might it make the habit tougher to kick, it could also contribute to tooth decay. The following is some information that can be of help:

In helping a child kick the habit of thumb sucking, praise him or her for not doing it, as opposed to scolding for doing it.

In our experience with children and dentist in Houston, we have learned that it is when children are feeling a bit insecure that they suck their thumbs. A great approach to helping a child kick the habit is to focus on correcting the cause of the distress, and comfort him or her.

It can be very helpful to give a child a special reward when they avoid thumb-sucking in a difficult period, such as when separated from a parent.