De ar Pare nt :

Today I observed your child’s daycare and was concerned when I noticed that he sucks on his blanket with his
thumb in his mouth. There are some harmful, long-lasting, risks I wanted you to become aware of if the habit
persists.

Thumb sucking can affect the development and shape of your child’s dentition as he begins to lose his baby teeth
and the adult teeth start to come in. Your child could develop an “open bite,” a term we use that includes a
permanent side effect resulting from thumb sucking. Open bite occurs when the teeth are directed outward and
the top and bottom teeth do not touch even when your child’s mouth is completely closed. This is a result of the
thumb constantly resting between the teeth, causing a blockage of the full eruption process. Your child’s speech
may also be affected by this, such as developing a lisp, as well as the roof of the mouth could become altered and
sensitive. The blanket also has some potential risk factors because of all of the germs that it holds. When your
child places this in his mouth, he is transferring bacteria from the blanket to his mouth. This can result in a
greater risk of acquiring cavities.

Thankfully there are ways that you as a parent can begin to intervene and control the thumb sucking habit before
these side effects arise. Start by talking to your child about the habit and use positive reinforcement, rather than
punishment. Providing rewards and congratulating your child when he is not thumb sucking is a great motivator
in stopping the habit. Identifying triggers is also a great intervention. If your child sucks his thumb in response to
stress, try comforting him in other ways such as a hug, if your child sucks his thumb for attention, sometimes
paying no attention is enough for the child to stop the behavior. If your child continues thumb sucking, there are
some unenjoyable techniques such as applying an unpleasant taste to the blanket/thumb, covering the hand with a
bandage or glove, and hiding the blanket from the child.

As you and your child work towards eliminating the thumb sucking habit, remember that this is a completely
normal stage that most children go through. It may take time and that is completely okay. If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact our office!

Sincerely,

Abbie, Andrea, Gracie, Kaylee, Kylie