Thumb sucking and pacifiers are natural and soothing for your child. It is normal behavior for infants but as your child gets older, the more dangerous active thumb sucking can be for their developing teeth. Taking preventative measures against thumb sucking will not only benefit your child’s oral health but it will also improve their overall health. Here are five things every parent should know about thumb sucking and their child’s health.
Bite Problems
The pressure that thumb sucking puts on the roof of your child’s mouth, jawbone and teeth is likely the reason your child is experiencing crooked teeth and dental problems early on in life. The most common problems include but aren’t limited too:
Taking preventative measures against thumb sucking is the best way to ensure your child doesn’t compromise their healthy smile. Orthodontic treatment is a great way to treat any existing problems and have your child stop thumb sucking altogether.
Difficulties With Speech
The alignment of our teeth plays a big role in how we speak. Consequences of thumb sucking can oftentimes lead to difficulty with speech. Children can grow to become frustrated or insecure about how they speak which can negatively affect their self-esteem. The most common speech difficulties include:
With the help of Orthodontic treatment, most of these symptoms will go away over time. In extreme cases, professional help might be required. To prevent crooked teeth and difficulties with speech make regular dental appointments for your child with a pediatric dentist.
Greater Amount of Germ Intake
It is important to remind your child that thumb sucking can be harmful to their health. Having them wear gloves or a thumb shield is a great preventative measure that will keep their overall health in tip-top shape.
Mouth Breathing
It is not uncommon for thumb suckers to turn into mouth breathers. There are a number of different factors that could be causing your child to mouth breath (crooked teeth, bite issues, etc.) and a number of different factors as to why this can be harmful to their mouths.
Preventing mouth breathing isn’t an easy task, sometimes this can only be fixed through orthodontic treatment. Luckily, once the teeth and jaw are aligned these issues tend to disappear over time.
Skin Problems
Children who have sucked on their thumb for years can be causing damage to the skin on their thumb. The moisture of the mouth and the pressure of sucking can cause the skin to crack and bleed which can cause extreme discomfort. Some more serious health concerns include:
The longer your child keeps sucking on their thumb the more likely they are to have one or more of these problems. Educating your child on the risks associated with this action is a great way to make them understand the importance of their oral health.
