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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started

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Babies and young children often suck their thumbs. It's perfectly normal. But some parents worry about it. As children get older, thumb-sucking becomes less common. But a small number of children still suck their thumbs up to age 5. The habit is harmless if the child does it now and then. This includes during bedtime or a stressful event.

When it is a problem

Older children who keep sucking their thumbs or fingers may need help to stop the habit. This help can come from parents, a dentist, or an orthodontist. Long-term (chronic) thumb-sucking can cause the child's permanent teeth to push forward. This creates an overbite.

If you're not sure how to stop the thumb-sucking, talk with your child's dentist. If your child is already thumb-sucking less often, you likely don't need to do anything. That's particularly true if the child still has baby teeth.

If the habit stops before your child gets permanent teeth, dental problems often correct themselves. Treatment may be needed between ages 3 to 6. Children often start to get permanent teeth at about age 6. Some children may want to stop sucking their thumb on their own. They may want to prevent being teased, which can happen.

How to break the habit

Try these methods:

Ignore the behavior. Most often children will stop on their own. They are likely to stop as they get older due to peer pressure.

Cover your child's hand. You might try a sock or a glove. You can also buy special mittens or a plastic thumb guard. Either one makes sucking difficult.

Use rewards. Say something positive whenever you see that your child is not sucking their thumb. You might put a star on a calendar when your child goes without thumb-sucking for a day. Or when he or she leaves the sock or glove on all night. Stars could mean your child gets an extra story, a trip to the library, or some other reward.

Get help. A dentist or orthodontist can tell you how to slowly phase out these rewards to keep the habit from returning.

Try a device. The orthodontist may need to place a special device (dental appliance) in your child's mouth. The device will keep the thumb slightly away from the roof of the mouth. This interferes with the suction that occurs when thumb-sucking. This device may need to be used for 6 to 10 months.

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Babies and young children often suck their thumbs. It's perfectly normal. But some parents worry about it. As children get older, thumb-sucking becomes less common. But a small number of children still suck their thumbs up to age 5. The habit is harmless if the child does it now and then.

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The Covid-19 Vaccine is now available and recommended for children 12 years old and older.

We highly recommend that any child in our practice who is 12 or older receive the vaccine.

Although the COVID 19 virus itself is not typically as dangerous to children as it is to adults, and death from the virus in children is rare, there are increasingly reports of long-term effects of COVID 19 virus in some children, including cardiac, neurologic, and lung issues.

The vaccines for COVID 19 are excellent, but not perfect. Vaccinating younger members of the family/group is essential in keeping older members and immunocompromised safe from harm. In addition, COVID 19 variants are a rising concern, and present COVID 19 vaccines have been demonstrated to provide some cross protection against variants.

Our providers and staff have seen the harm done to children's mental and emotional health. Children have been denied so many beneficial experiences during the pandemic. Vaccinating children will protect them and permit them to more fully engage in childhood activities which critical to their health and to their development : school, sports, and socializing with friends and family.

From the Department of Public Health:

COVID-19 is a vaccine-preventable disease, just like measles, mumps, and other childhood diseases.

Children are not immune from COVID-19. 1.5 million cases, and more than 13,000 hospitalizations from the disease nationwide have been reported to the CDC among children ages 11-17. The vaccine is their best protection.

It is especially important to vaccinate children in this age group (12-15-year-olds) with underlying health conditions. They are at higher risk for severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. While children are less likely to be hospitalized from COVID 19, 61% of those who were hospitalized had at least one underlying health condition.

According to Pfizer, clinical trials involving 2,260 12-to-16-year-olds showed its efficacy is 100%.

No symptomatic cases of coronavirus were found among children aged 12 to 15 who received the vaccine, while 16 cases were identified in the placebo group.

The children produced strong antibody responses; much higher levels compared to trial participants 16 to 25 years old according to trial data from Pfizer.

Young people in the trial experienced no serious side effects. The most common side effects were like those found in adults: fever, fatigue, redness at the injection site, headaches, chills, and muscle and joint pain. Symptoms typically went away after 1-3 days and were more common after the second dose.

There is concern among parents about a potential impact of the COVID vaccine on their child's fertility. There is no reported loss of fertility among the millions of people who have already received a vaccine, and pregnancy has occurred among those who have received vaccines, both during and after clinical trials. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, there is no scientific evidence of loss of fertility from any of the three vaccines authorized.

At this time, the Delaware Department of Public Health has not provided our offices with supplies of COVID 19 vaccines for the newly eligible 12-15-year-old population, only for the 16 years and older population, and at present any doses we have are reserved for those who signed up for our drive-thru clinic. Please know that we will be making vaccine available through our offices once it is made available to us through the Department of Public Health.
Since we do not yet have access to vaccines for the 12-15-year-olds, nor more 16+ vaccine that is unaccounted for at this time, we are encouraging our patient families to consider taking advantage of the opportunity to have children of this age group vaccinated through Delaware Public Health clinics.
There are multiple options to get your vaccine in the community:

Ready to begin vaccinating immediately by appointment or walk-in.

No appointment needed.

If appointment is desired, call 1-833-643-1715

Canby Park
Located in the Elizabeth Shopping Mall
(Formerly Canby Shopping Center)
1946 Maryland Ave.
Wilmington, DE 19805
The clinic is in between a nail salon and title loan store in the rear of the mall.
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Porter Public Health Clinic
509 W. 8th St.
2nd Floor
Wilmington, DE 19801
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Hudson Public Health Clinic
501 Ogletown Road
Newark, DE 19711
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Oxford Public Health Clinic
256 Chapman Road
Suite 100
Newark, DE 19702
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Blue Hen Corporate Center
655 S. Bay Road, St. 1A
Dover, DE 19901
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Williams Public Health Clinic
805 River Rd
Dover, DE 19901
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Shipley Public Health Clinic
350 Virginia Avenue
Seaford, DE 19973
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Riverwalk Public Health Clinic
253 NE Front Street
Milford, DE 19963
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Adams Public Health Clinic
546 S Bedford Street
Georgetown, DE 19947
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Georgetown Plaza Shopping Center
At U.S. 113 and U.S. 9 intersection
19 Georgetown Plaza
Georgetown, DE 19947
Hours: M-F 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
and 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Nemours
To set up an appointment though Nemours Children's Hospital you can access the following link:
nemours.org/about/coronavirus/vaccine

Visit the CDC's webpage for more information about COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/adolescents.html

Delaware's Fact Sheet on COVID-19 Vaccinations for 12-15-year-olds:

https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/177/2021/05/DECV33125_Vaccine_12-15_factsheet_v26.pdf

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All babies are born with the need to suck. This is important because babies need the sucking reflex to eat and drink. Sucking for some babies also can have a soothing and calming effect. However, when does sucking become a problem? Read on for i...

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Most young children use a pacifier or suck on their thumb or fingers. Sucking is a natural instinct for an infant and often sticks around as a comforting habit into the toddler years. However, this can be troublesome if your child persists sucking a thumb or pacifier past the age of four or when the permanent teeth begin erupting. The risk of these habits can lead to include overcrowded and crooked teeth, problems with the development of roof and mouth development and bite problems. Sometimes the front teeth may even tilt toward the lip or not come in properly.

Pacifiers and thumb sucking usually stop on their own when your child begins pre-school or kindergarten due to the peer pressure associated with begins around other children their age. However, if your child is having trouble giving up thumb sucking or a pacifier, your pediatrician can offer you some helpful suggestions.

How to Stop Thumb Sucking and Pacifier Dependence

As a first step in dealing with your child's sucking habits, ignore them. Most often, your child will stop on his or her own. Instead of forcing a change, your pediatrician offers these helpful tips:

Praise your child when he or she isn't sucking their thumb or pacifier. Be positive and do not punish him or her.

Reward your child if he or she does not resort to thumb sucking or a pacifier during stressful situations or falls asleep without sucking.

Try trading the pacifier for another special toy.

Don't make it into a power struggle or a dramatic experience trying to wean your child off the pacifier. Be patient and always remain positive.

Focus on correcting the cause of the anxiety that may be causing your child to be dependent on sucking their thumb or a pacifier.

Bandage the thumb or place a sock over the hand at night to remind your child of the habit.

If serious enough, your dentist may also suggest a mouth appliance to block the ability to suck.

In infancy, avoid ever dipping your child's pacifier in honey, sugar or syrup.

For more advice or counseling about your child's thumb sucking or pacifier habits, please visit your pediatrician. With their help, you can successfully wean your child off of their thumb sucking and pacifier habit.

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Wean Your Child Off Pacifiers and Thumb Sucking

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Most young children use a pacifier or suck on their thumb or fingers. Sucking is a natural instinct for an infant and often sticks around as a comforting habit into the toddler years.

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Should I be worried that my 3-year-old won't go anywhere without his pacifier? No, but it's probably not too early to begin encouraging
Should I be worried that my 3-year-old won't go anywhere without his pacifier?
No, but it's probably not too early to begin encouraging your child to be less dependent on it. Most children stop using pacifiers between the ages of 2 and 4, but many stop well before that. You can always force your child to do without his "binky" by taking it away. But you're much better off persuading him that giving up his pacifier is a good idea.

One way to do that is by raising the subject of dental care in general. By the age of 3, most children have all of their baby teeth, and they're beginning to discover things like regular brushing and flossing. So work a little dental education into your bedtime routine: As you help your child to brush, show him what his pacifier is doing - how it puts pressure against his front teeth and could cause them to protrude. Point out his baby teeth, and talk about how important it is for them to remain straight so that they can hold a place "open" for the permanent teeth to come. Persuade your child that his teeth are important, and he just may decide to leave that "binky" behind.
When should thumb-sucking stop?
According to the American Dental Association, your child can safely suck a thumb or pacifier until age 4 without damaging his teeth or jawline. But you'll want to help your child give up thumb-sucking when his permanent teeth erupt, at age 6 or 7, or he could end up with an overbite. Another reason for him to give up sucking is that he'll start kindergarten around age 5 or 6; children who suck their thumbs often get teased by their peers.

It's important to remember that thumb-sucking at this age is normal, unless your child is sucking too much or starts to suck because he is especially anxious or stressed. Forcing your child to stop thumb-sucking too early can do more harm than good by taking away a habit he uses to comfort himself. Peer pressure is usually what helps a kid turn the corner; he sees that he's the only one still sucking his thumb and develops the will to stop.
How can I help my child stop sucking his thumb?
For starters, talk to your child about the need to stop sucking. Involve him by seeking his opinion on why he does it and how he can stop. These strategies may also help:

Ask your child to stop sucking during the day. Thumb-sucking during naps and at night usually is involuntary. Once daytime sucking is under control, you can start to deal with nighttime sucking.

Find a "helper" that will remind your child not to suck. This can be anything from a bandage on his thumb or a funny sticker on his thumbnail to a colorful mitten or even a baseball glove. Make sure that the "helper" is something that your child likes, not a punishment. Also, let him apply the sticker or put on the mitten himself.

Praise your child whenever you notice that he isn't sucking his thumb. Put a chart on his door, and give him a star for every day he goes without his thumb or a pacifier. Reward him with a special trip to the park, an extra story at bedtime, or some other treat.

How can I stop my child from nighttime thumb-sucking?
It's not easy. Your child is least able to discipline himself as he drifts off to sleep; he may not even realize that he's popped his thumb into his mouth. And if you're asleep yourself, you aren't in a position to tell him to take it out.

Generally, nighttime sucking will cease once your child stops sucking during the day. However, your child may be one of those who continues to suck at night and needs help to quit, or your dentist may tell you that your child's nighttime habit is harming his permanent teeth.

If so, you and your child need a helpful reminder, such as a glove, mitten, or elastic bandage wrapped around his arm (not too tightly). Try to work these aids into your child's bedtime ritual. Have him choose a special mitten for each night, or tell him a story about a child who wears a magic glove. If you use an elastic bandage, wrap it around his arm from a few inches below to a few inches above the elbow. Apply the bandage while the elbow is straight; whenever your child starts to bring his thumb toward his mouth, the pressure at his elbow will increase and remind him to stop. Give your child a choice of these options, and make sure he helps you at bedtime as you put them on.
My 6-year-old continues to suck his thumb. Will he ever quit?
Yes, but you may need to get some outside help. Here's how:

Schedule an appointment with a pediatrician or pediatric dentist. Ask her to talk to your child about the impact that thumb-sucking could have on his permanent teeth.

When you visit the dentist, ask to see a model that shows an overbite or other problem that can occur as a result of prolonged sucking. Thumb-sucking past the age of 4 or 5 can result in the need for orthodontic care later in life; a pediatric dentist can show your child what braces and retainers look like.

At home, consider using a bitter-tasting solution, such as Stop-zit, on your child's thumb. (You can also try putting fingernail polish on your child's thumbnail; many parents start with this, and the strange smoothness alone is often enough to remind a child not to suck.) Painting your child's thumb or nail with a topical solution may seem severe, but it's effective and much more gentle than snapping at your child every five minutes to "take that thumb out of your mouth!" Just be sure to treat any topical solution as a reminder - something that's meant to help your child - and not as a punishment. Help your child to apply the Stop-zit or other solution himself at regular intervals during the day and before bedtime. Discontinue such solutions as soon as your child has gone five days (or nights) without sucking his thumb.

If these approaches don't work, your dentist can place a reminder bar in the upper part of his mouth, which will interfere with his ability to suck. Try the techniques above and talk to your dentist before exploring this option.
Further Resources
National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000676.htm
References Frances L. Ilg, M.D., Louise Bates Ames, Ph.D, and Sidney M. Baker, M.D. Child Behavior: The classic child care manual from the Gesell Institute of Human Development. Harper Paperbacks. 1992. Journal of the American Dental Association. Thumb sucking and Pacifier Use. August 2007. http://www.ada.org/sections/scienceAndResearch/pdfs/patient_77.pdf American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Thumb, Finger and Pacifier Habits. http://www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/tfphabits.asp
Copyright © 2015 LimeHealth. All Rights Reserved.

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Should I be worried that my 3-year-old won't go anywhere without his pacifier? No, but it's probably not too early to begin encouraging Should I be worried that my 3-year-old won't go anywhere without his pacifier? No, but it's probably not too early to begin encouraging your child to be less dependent on it.

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How to Stop Thumb Sucking & Tips on Pacifier Weaning

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Are you trying to stop thumb sucking or do you need tips on pacifier weaning? UnityPoint Health gives advice to make breaking those habits easier.