Thumb-sucking is common in children and can become a natural reaction to certain situations. However, as comforting as it may be, it can cause oral health complications when it goes on for too long. Learn more about the risks below, and work with your child's pediatric dentist to break the habit.

Why Children Suck Their Thumbs

Thumb-sucking can begin in the first few months of infancy and last for years. It satisfies a child's instinct to suck, and the habit will eventually become a reflex when they're hungry, bored, tired, or nervous. Many children break the habit on their own, and it's thought to be typical until the ages of three or four.

How It Affects Oral Health

The sucking action will gradually draw your child's teeth forward and pull their jaw out of alignment. It may also affect the shape of the roof of their mouth. The resulting alignment issues can lead to crossbites, overbites, and underbites, which may impact your child's appearance and ability to eat and speak correctly. Your child can also introduce countless bacteria into their mouth every time they suck their thumb, and the dirt beneath their fingernails could lead to an infection.

Prolonged thumb-sucking usually requires orthodontic care to fix bite patterns and tooth alignment, so contact your child's pediatric dentist if you notice that their teeth already aren't lining up evenly.

Ways to Break the Habit

First, explain to your child that it's important for them to stop sucking their thumb. Explain how it affects their teeth and that it can make them sick since their hands are dirty. Going forward, pay attention to when and why they suck. If it's during stressful situations, such as meeting strangers, hold their hand to calm them and prevent thumb-sucking. Alternatively, if it's before bed, try reading stories or giving them a stuffed animal to hold. Finally, don't criticize them when they do suck, and instead reward them on days that they don't suck their thumb.

If you’re looking for a skilled pediatric dentist in Kodiak, AK, contact BridgeView Dental Group. This team of general and cosmetic dentistry professionals provides a number of services for patients of all ages, including orthodontics, sedation dentistry, and treatments for periodontal disease. Learn more about their offerings on their website, or call (907) 486-3257 today to schedule a teeth cleaning.