Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking is just one of many oral habits (finger or tongue sucking, pacifier/bottle extended use, nail biting, lip licking, jaw clenching/grinding). Families make many efforts to eliminate these habits such as punishment and even orthodontic appliances, which both often fail as they are not addressing the biological factors which are stronger with these habits.

5-20% of children have a thumb sucking habit after the age of 6 years

30-45% of preschool children have a non-nutritive habit

Thumb sucking usually decreases after 6 months old but can quickly become a habit in children who do so when they feel impatient, scared, hungry, tired, or bored. These all can impact your child's oral and facial growth, skills for eating and drinking, speech clarity, breathing, and dental health.

Want to stop these behaviors in 2-4 weeks?

The best time to break the habit is before the permanent teeth grow in, at around the age of 4 to 6. However, children of all ages can eliminate habits if they have the following "readiness factors".

  • Following directions

  • Conversation skills

  • Maturation

  • Ability to consider: avoidance behaviors, location and time triggers

  • Most of all…Are motivated to stop this behavior

The first session is an assessment and gathering of information. Parents and other caregivers are "positive partners" during this program.

The program is 4-5 additional weekly sessions, focusing on educating your family and child in a fun and age-appropriate way, creating schedules, making supports to eliminate the habit, practicing exercises and videos to teach proper tongue placement and increase oral strength, and PRIZES.

A home program with routines is established and is imperative for success. In addition, your speech/language pathologist is available for daily morning and evening calls as part of the routine to provide support and celebrate success.

The final session is a celebration of the elimination of the habit and discussion of any next steps.

Sarah Rosten is an Orofacial Myofunctional trained speech/language pathologist. In addition to eliminating oral habits, this treatment approach can improve:

  • Mouth Breathing, which is seen in 55% of children and often leads to upper respiratory conditions

  • Improper Tongue Rest Position

  • Structural Abnormalities ..... TOTs- Tethered Oral Tissues- labial, lingual, buccal, occurring in 32.54% of the population and can impact feeding, speech clarity, or orthodontic relapse.

  • Disorders of Feeding & Chewing

  • Atypical Swallowing

  • Speech sound production errors

  • Sleep disordered breathing (SOB) or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Snoring is NOT normal and occurs in 34.5 percent of children

  • TMD and facial pain

Stop Thumb Sucking in 2-4 Weeks

Contact us to schedule an initial developmental evaluation and shepherd you through our intake process.