Thumb Sucking and Dental Health

It’s normal for your child to suck their thumb. It’s a natural thing that young children do to make themselves feel soothed and secure. What you do need to keep in mind is that once your child’s permanent teeth start to surface, thumb sucking can start to become a problem. Once a child’s permanent teeth come in thumb sucking can interfere with the alignment of their teeth and the roof of their mouth.

If a child sucks their thumb aggressively there is a higher chance that there will be dental problems that develop. In some cases, aggressive thumb-sucking can even cause dental issues with a child’s baby teeth. Usually a child will stop sucking their thumb between the ages of two and four on their own, but if you are having trouble getting your child to stop, there are ways that you can help. One popular tip for stopping your child from thumb sucking? Bandage their thumb and explaining to them what can happen if they continue the habit.

If you feel like your child needs help to stop thumb sucking, try to take the best approach that will still offer them comfort and positive reinforcement. This may also be a good time to start talking about the importance of good oral health and how to take care of their teeth. Here is some helpful information for parents who are dealing with this issue http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/t/thumbsucking