On the surface, thumb sucking seems harmless. However, according to the kid's dental care providers at Alaska Dentistry for Kids in Anchorage, when children continue to suck their thumbs after their permanent teeth have come in, this seemingly harmless habit can cause dental and skeletal problems.

There are many reasons why your child might continue to suck their thumb. Usually, it is a leftover habit that developed because they were tired, hungry, bored, or stressed. The children's dentists at Alaska Dentistry for Kids encourage you to discover the reasons behind your child's thumb sucking so you can avoid permanent side effects.

Here are a few ways thumb sucking will affect your child's health:

• Misaligned Teeth: One of the first things Anchorage's best children's dentists will note about thumb sucking is that it can cause malocclusion, or a misalignment of your child's teeth. This happens because when your child sucks their thumb, they are putting pressure on the sides of their upper jaw and the roof of their mouth.
• Speech Difficulties Or Lisp: Thumb sucking can affect jaw positioning, which can slow the replacement of tongue thrust—an early childhood swallowing pattern—with a mature swallow. This issue and the misalignment of their teeth can cause sound distortions or even a lisp when they speak.

  

• Altered Roof Of Mouth: When your child's palate, or the roof of their mouth, is altered as a side effect of thumb sucking, it can cause tongue displacement, chewing problems, swallowing problems, speaking issues, skeletal deformities, and tonsil collapse as a result of snoring.
• Callused Fingers: When a child has a persistent thumb sucking habit, it is not uncommon to find blisters or calluses on their finger.

If you are concerned about thumb sucking or have other questions regarding your child's dental care, call Alaska Dentistry for Kids today at (907) 274-2525. These friendly, professional children's dentists offer a wide range of dental care services for infants and kids, including laser correction for lip ties, in a warm and comforting environment. To learn more, visit them online.