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It’s a common issue, and it’s a very natural reflex for children to take to thumb sucking. It’s called non-nutritive sucking. Sucking on thumbs, fingers, pacifiers or anything else they can get their hands on helps with feeling happy and secure in a young child’s mind.

We’ve discussed the topic of choosing between a pacifier and a thumb, but what do you do when your child should stop sucking their thumb? Today, we’re going to discuss exactly that and give you our guide to wean your little one off the thumb!

As a baby, thumb sucking is quite natural and can help soothe and calm them, often to sleep (which helps you get some sleep as well). But as a child gets older, it can pose a problem.

Sucking can disrupt proper placement of primary teeth, causing bigger headaches down the road when their permanent counterparts begin growing in. Ultimately, it is up to you when to start this process, but once the permanent teeth come in, thumb sucking causes problems with proper growth and alignment of teeth. These factors can result in the need for braces or the development of a lisp, which can take years of speech therapy to fix.

Usually, as your child grows and interacts with other children, social behavioral cues will guide them to quit. It doesn’t happen that way all the time though, so you may need to help you child overcome thumb sucking.

It’s important to outline the phrase “help them” because alienating your child through shaming or force is not the correct manner to subdue their urge, and could backfire. So, what can you do instead?

• Make it a team effort. Instead of ordering them to quit, ask them questions that lead them to the conclusion that it’s time to stop. For example, telling them that you’ve noticed they are getting old enough to quit and asking if they have any ideas on what to do about it.
• If they don’t have any ideas, offering up a solution is better than a command. Something as simple as suggesting putting a Band-Aid over their thumb, and letting them pick out a fun design, could be exactly what the doctor ordered!
• Praise them for when they aren’t thumb sucking, rather than scolding them for when they do. Coming up with an unconventional signal (like an ear tug or hand sign) that you can use in public and be discreet with can help avoid a sense of shame that could drive them to the habit even more.
• If you decide to go the route of putting an unsavory tasting substance on their finger or nail, do not use something spicy. Use something simple like vinegar, or lemon juice, but only if the child agrees to it. We feel it’s best to avoid negative reinforcement if possible. Getting your child to want to quit is key.

Noticing the triggers in your child is also integral to their success. Do they do it before bedtime, or while watching TV? Maybe they do it when they are anxious or are sad. Noticing these and making an effort through one of the methods above will help them feel like it’s a team effort.

Above all, being patient with your little one is key, and don’t be afraid to offer praise and maybe even a reward along the way!

With the holidays upon us, the battle against your child’s wants and encouraging dental hygiene has reached critical mass. And while as quickly as the holidays arrive, they are gone, it’s important to stock your kitchen with the proper kinds of food and drink.

Today, we’re going to focus on a few common threats found in every kitchen and give you a couple ideas on how to keep you, your children, and your dentist happy!

1) Dried fruits

It comes as a shock to many people, but dried fruits can be a big enemy in the fight against cavities. Raisins, apricots, prunes and others, that are sweet when fresh, have more highly concentrated sugars when dehydrated. This allows them to cling to the enamel of your children’s teeth like a gooey candy snack.

To make matters worse, the insoluble fiber typically found in fruits helps trap sugar on and around teeth, which makes them public enemy number one to good dental hygiene.

2) Citrus-only snacks

Fruits from the citrus family are highly acidic. The citric acid found in limes, lemons, oranges even berries can wreak havoc on a child’s tooth enamel. They are so powerful that they are often used as a cleaning agent! Ever wonder why all those cleaners under the sink are citrus-scented?

Ditching these fruits entirely would be a bad idea, so find a happy medium by combining the citrus with other foods. This allows the acidic particles to attach to something other than your child’s teeth and minimizes any potential damage.

3) Vinegar

Vinegar is a great low-fat alternative to add flavor to a dish often found in salad dressings, hot sauce, chips, and pickles. However, for less mature tooth enamel that is more vulnerable to erosion, it’s best to avoid it.

Ensure dental health with a good, thorough rinsing after meals either by brushing or drinking plenty of water. But, make sure to wait 30 minutes before brushing, which allows softened enamel a chance to recover.

4) Mouth-drying consumables

If your child is sick and put on a medication that includes the side effect of dry mouth, this can put their teeth and gums in danger. The best solution is to keep them hydrated with plenty of fluids, like water or fluoridated rinses.

Giving your child’s natural defenses the right tools to fight off decay and gum disease should always be your first rule in good dental hygiene!

5) Chewable vitamins

Whether they are multivitamins or vitamin-specific supplements, chewable vitamins pack a big punch to a child’s teeth because they contain a concentrated acid and high amounts of sugar which can find a home in teeth. Even with vigorous brushing, this can be hard to remove unless your child is flossing. Given enough time, this will eventually wear down the young enamel.

Of course, none of these facts can help without a good, consistent routine of dental hygiene that consists of brushing, flossing, rinsing and check-ups! At Dentistry for Children and Adolescents, we are dedicated to equipping parents with what you need to know!

It’s completely natural to feed your infant with a bottle in the early stages of development. While bottles are easy to use and comforting for babies, they are also one of the leading causes of tooth decay in children.

The good news is, you don’t have to stop using baby bottles altogether to avoid the risk of tooth decay. Instead, take these preventative measures to ensure that your child will have healthy oral development in the earliest stages of childhood.

The cause of baby bottle tooth decay, or “nursing bottle mouth” is due to frequent exposure to sugary liquids for long periods of time, which forms harmful plaque in the mouth. It makes sense; babies and toddlers are often seen running around with bottles of milk, formula and juice and hate to part ways with their beloved bottle at the end of the day.

Remember: baby bottles are not pacifiers. Some parents allow their infants to carry a bottle around just to satisfy their need for an object to chew on. However, this opens the door for longer periods of exposure to sugar. Try to switch out the bottle for a pacifier after mealtime.

Avoid sending your child to bed with his bottle. It’s easy to get into the habit of putting your baby to sleep with a warm bottle of milk, but it will result in serious consequences. Not only does it increase the amount of exposure to sugary liquids, but it will also allow bacteria to form plaque in the mouth overnight. Your child’s oral environment should have plenty of time to recover from a day’s worth of exposure to sugar. When you send your child to bed with a bottle, you’re essentially undoing all nighttime teeth cleaning rituals that you just completed.

Water is good for your baby and his oral development. If your child is attached to his bottle, it would helpful to occasionally replace a bottle full of milk with water instead. It rinses bacteria from the mouth and doesn’t contain sugar that will cause plaque formation. This will also work if you must send your baby to bed with a bottle.

Try to teach your child to drink from a cup around 6 months of age. This will help break the habit of keeping the bottle in his mouth for prolonged periods of time. Encourage your child to stop using a bottle completely by 12-14 months. It may seem like a difficult task at first, but it is worth it to keep you baby’s oral development on a healthy track!

It’s time for pumpkin pie, juicy turkey, and delicious cranberry sauce! As you can probably guess, not all Thanksgiving foods are going to be tooth-friendly. That doesn’t mean your children have to suffer through a bland, tasteless Thanksgiving meal though. Consider these tips as you plan a festive meal that will treat your child’s oral health kindly.

Include more options for crunchy fruits and vegetables.

Thanksgiving is the one time of year when it’s appropriate to have an endless variety of sides to go with your turkey. So, why not take advantage of the opportunity to give your child healthy options that will also benefit their teeth? Sweet potatoes, a Thanksgiving favorite, are full of healthy fibers that increase saliva production and remove bacteria on the teeth as you chew. The key is to avoid adding large amounts of brown sugar and marshmallows before handing your child his plate. Other good vegetables to include are broccoli, carrots and celery, all of which are high in fiber.

Rethink pumpkins.

While pumpkin pie is absolutely delicious, it’s also packed with sugars that will stick to your child’s teeth. Pumpkin, however, can be just as tooth-friendly as the crunchy vegetables mentioned above. Explore your recipe options and find creative ways to use pumpkin without making a sugary pie.

Skip the cranberry sauce but don’t forget the cranberries.

Traditional cranberry sauce from the can is sure to cause bacteria formation on your child’s teeth, but real cranberries can actually be good for them. Microbiologist Hyun “Michel” Koo discovered that cranberries disrupt bacteria from forming plaque and acid that cause tooth decay. But, that doesn’t mean you should allow your child to hoard the cranberries. The fruit still contains acidic content and should be consumed in conservative amounts.

Try not to linger around the dinner table.

Everyone loves to revisit the dinner table or fridge throughout the day to pick at the Thanksgiving leftovers. What they don’t realize is that the constant snacking disrupts your tooth enamel’s ability to re-harden. Each time your child “grazes” on leftovers, the more often his tooth enamel has to reset the clock. Try to limit your child from snacking after your Thanksgiving meal, and his teeth will thank you!