As a parent, you have a handful of concerns when it comes to raising your children in a safe and healthy environment. We want them to develop and keep healthy habits so that they can live a long and happy life. When it comes to your child sucking their thumb, you’ll begin to wonder about the dental effects of thumb sucking, short-term and long-term.
You will likely have immediate questions. Is this going to be a harmful habit? Did they experience some type of trauma that has them feeling stressed or anxious? Are they not getting the proper nutrition? You’ll likely start to wonder the cause of your child sucking on their thumb and if there is anything you can do to ease them out of it.
Let’s go over the dental effects of thumb sucking; the good, the bad, and the causes.
What Causes Thumb Sucking?
Thumb sucking among children is a very common habit that can develop naturally during their young developmental stages. Early on, there is usually no need for concern. Your baby has natural ‘rooting and sucking’ reflexes that cause them to place their thumb into their mouths to help comfort themselves, even before they are born.
As the baby grows, this action can be seen as a coping mechanism for when they’re feeling a bit anxious or when they’re separated from their parents. When your child begins attending daycare or preschool, this habit becomes a bit more common. Thankfully, at this stage, there isn’t much need for worry or concern. Because thumb sucking helps your child to feel content and safe, they may develop this habit when they’re trying to fall asleep.
How Long is Thumb Sucking Okay?
Many children between ages 2-4 will break the habit on their own once they start attending daycare or preschool. Others will drop the habit almost immediately after infancy, around 6 months of age. According to the ADA, if your child hasn’t dropped the habit by age 4, some type of intervention or discouragement will be needed.
This type of prolonged sucking will begin to affect your child’s mouth and jaw as it causes their teeth to develop misaligned. If the habit is more of a passive action, it will be easier to discourage and break. However, if the action is becoming an emotional attachment for your child, it may need more rigorous intervention.
What Can I Do to Discourage the Habit?
If your child shows signs of emotional attachment to the act of thumb sucking, you may need to purchase ADA safe products to discourage the act. There are certain products on the market that can be placed over the thumb to keep the thumb out of the mouth. However, most parents have found that just placing a simple glove or bandage over the thumb is sufficient enough.
Whatever method you decide is best for your child, always remember to associate the intervention method with positive reinforcement. Any type of judgment or criticism towards the action or your child will not help them break the habit at all.
Some helpful tips for discouraging thumb sucking include:
- For infants, offer them a pacifier instead; pacifiers are more gentle to the mouth and easier to take away.
- Create a chart with a reward system set up to routinely check with your child. For example, if they don’t suck their thumb for certain hours of the day, they get a tasty treat!
- Give lots of love and support when your child attempts to stop on their own. This extra amount of attention will often give them the strength they need to quit.
- Keep tabs throughout your child’s development and visit your dentist routinely to keep track of breaking the thumb sucking habit.
Dental Effects of Thumb Sucking
When the habit continues into ages 5 and 6, there is cause for concern. The pressure caused by the thumb sucking motion will start to make physical changes in the mouth. Your child’s upper and lower teeth may start to jut out from their normal positions, affecting their normal bite pattern. Eventually, their mouth will not be able to close properly.
This is where taking your child to see the dentist regularly with this habit is essential. In the office, they will be able to assess the changes early on and can refer you and your child to an orthodontist for further consultation. Depending on the age and the severity of the habit, your child may need some type of mouth guard or even braces to correct the bowing of the mouth.
While the habit is normal for children below the age of 4, parents need to remain vigilant so that the habit doesn’t present a problem in their later years of development. Continue taking your child to their dentist for check-ups to keep track of their oral health.
If you have any concerns about your child’s thumb-sucking habit, contact North View Dental and they will be more than happy to help you work through them. Please never feel judged and don’t hesitate!
