In her latest article for DUO, Smile Dental's Carla Lejarraga  shares her personal quest to stop her daughter's thumbsucking, and how she can now help other children break the habit.

My eldest daughter, Amaya, was a thumbsucker. It began when she was about six months old, and like many parents, it didn’t concern me too much. She'd grow out of it. Right?

However, by the age of 4, Amaya’s “little habit” was an all consuming obsession. As a concerned mum – and a dental professional – I felt compelled to investigate. I soon discovered that not only does thumb and digit sucking affect the teeth, but more importantly, it seriously alters the shape of a growing child’s jaws. 

I noticed when Amaya closed together on her back teeth, her front teeth didn’t meet. She had what is known in the business as an “open bite.” 

Her speech was also affected. She thrust her tongue into the open gap to pronounce the “s” sound instead of placing it on the proper spot on the roof of her mouth — creating a lisp. 

As her palate was narrowing and growing high into the floor of her nose, she began to mouth breath. It quickly became clear that this was a bigger issue than just “crooked teeth”.

Armed with a mother’s determination and some putrid tasting nail polish, I was adamant my daughter would quit sucking her thumb. Alas it was to no avail. 

So we purchased not one, but two, expensive thumb guards. But Amaya was like Houdini! She could whip her thumb out in two seconds flat, have a few precious sucks and pop it back in before she thought we had noticed. We would remind, coax and cajole. We would threaten, bribe and coerce. But in the end she’d suck anyway — hiding away or avoiding eye contact. Was my daughter going to be graduating high school with her thumb glued to her face?

Like a woman possessed, I eventually found myself at a breathing education course in the United States – where I met some people called Orofacial Myologists. These folk are specifically trained dental hygienists and speech therapists that deal with facial and oral muscle habits. They explained to me that whilst our handling of Amaya’s thumb sucking was well intended, we were well off the mark. 

First of all, before the age of five, children are not able to understand why they need to stop. It's frustrating, and ultimately futile to try.

Secondly, research shows that thumb and finger sucking decreases neurotransmissions in the brain and releases endorphins — giving a sense of comfort and relaxation. It was a great relief to realise that Amaya was not intentionally misbehaving. It was simply that the physical and psychological pay-off was so great that it was outweighing any negative consequences.

Triggers such as blankets, toys and hair twirling, also contribute to sucking in many cases. Until the trigger is removed, it is very difficult for the child to break the habit.

Amaya stopped sucking on the first day of treatment. My husband and I were thrilled. She found the course of treatment positive and exciting and it was empowering for her to make the choice to stop. Her bite has now come together, her lips are mostly closed on rest, and she is developing an attractive healthy face. Her behaviour has dramatically improved and she is a bright and happy child who sleeps well.

It was an experience so profound that I went on to study in the area of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. As a result I can now give children in Australia a way to permanently “pop” their pacifiers, fingers and thumbs. And offer parents one less thing to worry about!

Carla Lejarraga  is a certified Dental Hygienist, Orofacial Myologist and Breathing Educator. Call us on 4729 5777 to find out how she can help your child stop thumb or finger sucking. 

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