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Thumbsucking is a natural soothing technique that many children use to relax. However, the staff at BridgeView Dental Group in Kodiak, AK, encourages parents to help their child break the habit. It can cause serious damage to their mouth, resulting in extensive realignment treatments by a pediatric dentist. Most children break the habit between ages two and four, but if your child hasn’t quit yet, use these effects as motivation to discourage it.

3 Ways Thumbsucking Affects Your Child’s Mouth

Overbite

pediatric-dentist-bridgeview-dental-groupWhen children suck their thumbs, they’re drawing their lower jaw unnaturally backward. Over time, this can permanently move it out of its natural place, resulting in an overbite. Aesthetically, overbites may lower your child’s self-confidence, but more importantly, they can damage teeth. Because the upper teeth sit awkwardly over the bottom, they may quickly wear down teeth. This can also generate chronic jaw pain.

Pronunciation Problems

As the lower jaw is drawn out of place by chronic thumb sucking, your child isn’t able to correctly move their mouth during speech. This can lead to gross mispronunciation of words, which is especially problematic as they’re learning more complex language skills. This takes time and dedication to overcome, and you’ll have to work with your pediatric dentist and a speech therapist to fix the issue.

Poor Tooth Development

Thumbsucking can lead to damage within the gums that, in many cases, isn’t discovered until your child’s permanent teeth begin to rupture. Damage from thumbsucking may make it difficult for them to rupture and may even inhibit them from moving at all. It can also lead to misalignment issues that will require extensive orthodontics in the coming years. By breaking this habit, their mouth will develop healthily and according to a normal schedule.

If you need assistance helping your child break their thumbsucking habit, turn to a pediatric dentist at BridgeView Dental Group in Kodiak, AK. They offer comprehensive advice and treatment for patients, and they are dedicated to ensuring your child’s teeth develop correctly. Call (907) 486-3257 today to schedule an appointment or visit their website and Facebook page to learn about their emergency dentistry services.

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