Hello. My name is Logan Hazard, and I must confess that I have a 6-year-old child who sucks her thumb. I am also a dentist.

It's true. As much as I hate to admit it, we have been totally thwarted in all of our efforts to get our child to stop sucking her thumb. It has come to the point where we are forced to use a dental appliance to help her stop. We do this though, because the cost of not stopping the habit is way too high. Thumb sucking and other oral habits can cause orthodontic problems that can cost thousands of dollars to fix, with treatment often lasting well into their teenage years. Putting a stop to the behavior now will definitely pay off in the long run.

Mary Hayes is a diplomat and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. She has recently stated that "We used to think that as long as a child stopped sucking by the time they developed their permanent teeth there would be minimal impact on the mouth and jaw...Now, research shows that thumb or finger sucking can have an impact even at a younger age - as young as 2 to 4 years old."

This is not encouraging to our situation. But what else could we have done? Fortunately, I have learned a few things over the years that I wish I had known when my child was younger.

First, is that pacifiers are better than thumbs. It is true that they can affect the teeth in essentially the same way as thumb/finger sucking. However, pacifier use often is an easier habit to break (just throw it away and deal with difficult bed-times for about a week). This has been my personal experience with my other three children who never had a chance to develop a taste for their own fingers and thumbs. If you do decide to use a pacifier, use a clean one. Also, please never dip it in sugar, honey or other sweeteners before giving it to an infant. Seriously, this just doesn't make sense from a dental standpoint.

Next, family psychologist Jenn Berman reminds us that thumb-sucking is a self-soothing activity which some children may require. As such, it is not usually healthy to inflict harsh rules or punishments, or to turn the issue into a matter of confrontation. It is a fact that most children stop sucking their thumbs/fingers by themselves between the ages of 2 and 4 years as they develop other coping strategies.

Finally, if a child does not stop on their own by the time they are four then gentle encouragement could be an important way of helping them. Berman encourages parents to practice self-awareness with their children so helping them to notice when they are sucking and to identify healthier replacement behaviors.

Of course sometimes these tricks don't work at all, and consultation with a dentist or other professional may be required. It is hard, but definitely worth it.

Dr. Logan Hazard at Heartwood Family Dental in Post Falls offers free exams and X-rays for all new patients, treatment for the entire family, a wonderful team, and acceptance of all insurances in the area. Call Justine today at (208) 777-1542.