Thumb and Finger Sucking 101: What You Need to Know

If you are someone (or know someone) who would like to help your child eliminate finger sucking from their life, you have come to the right place. When it comes to young children, thumb and finger sucking is a big problem. At first, it is natural for kids to want to engage in finger sucking, but as children get older, it is imperative that parents do what they can to help children stop sucking on their fingers as there are health concerns regarding thumb sucking. Keep reading below for key information pertaining to thumb and finger sucking as you want to do what you can to help children learn to stop as early as possible!

1. If possible, do what you can to stop finger sucking in children around age 4 as this is the prime age to implement thumb sucking deterrents.

Age four is often considered as the best time to discourage your child from thumb sucking, according to the American Dental Association. This is imperative, as it means that there is an ideal age to help children stop sucking on their thumbs. When it comes to the behavior of sucking on your thumbs or fingers, helping children stop around age four is a big deal because around this age they can understand the word “no” or “stop”. Thus, if you have or know a four-year-old who still sucks on their thumbs, consider implementing a way to get them to stop sucking on their thumbs or fingers as this is the ideal age for learning.

2. Finger sucking can have long-term effects such as speech impairments, affecting a number of first graders with things such as speech disorders.

Thumbsucking has been known to cause speech impairments. Keep in mind that approximately 5% of children will exhibit a speech disorder by first grade. This is a direct cause of thumb sucking, given that it pushes on the front teeth of children forcing them to gain a speech impediment. If possible, invest in a thumb sucking guard as they are a great way to help children stop sucking their thumb and it can also help get children to stop engaging in this type of behavior earlier on!

3. An average person carries 3,200 bacteria on their hands, which means thumb sucking prevention is necessary to protect people from being overexposed to germs.

The average person carries 3,200 bacteria on their hands, which means that a little child who sucks on their thumb or finger is exposed to this bacteria. Consider, that a little kid who is running around a house playing with lots of toys and touching things in the hope yet continues to suck on their thumb. They are essentially sucking on all those germs on the toys as well as the various household items. A thumb sucking guard is a great way to get children to stop this behavior and learn that they don’t need the crutch of sucking on fingers. Keep this in mind the next time your child (or your loved one’s child) sucks on their thumb as there are many solutions to help with the behavior.

If you found these tips helpful, then you are on the right track to learning about the key facts associated with thumb sucking. When it comes to little kids sucking on their thumbs and fingers, it is imperative that parents keep the above facts in mind to do what they can to help children stop this behavior. First, if possible, do what you can to stop finger sucking in children around age 4 as this is the prime age to implement thumb sucking deterrents. Second, keep in mind that finger sucking can have long-term effects such as speech impairments, affecting a number of first graders with things such as speech disorders. Lastly, know that an average person carries 3,200 bacteria on their hands, which means thumb sucking prevention is necessary to protect people from being overexposed to germs.