Thumb-sucking is a common habit and coping mechanism for many children. While it’s usually a phase that passes around preschool age, it can become a long-term issue when unaddressed. The sucking motion can eventually affect oral development, which is why your child’s dentist will recommend breaking the habit now.

Why Do Children Suck Their Thumbs?

Infants instinctively look for something to suck and use their thumbs when they're not nursing or using a pacifier. This habit typically develops in the first months of infancy and serves several purposes, including calming the child in stressful situations or when they're tired and helping to manage hunger. Thumb-sucking is entirely normal and often ends between ages three and four.

How Does It Affect Tooth Development?

Prolonged sucking pulls your child's teeth and jaw forward. Over a long enough period, they'll develop misalignments, such as cross-, under-, and overbites, as their teeth erupt. Years of sucking can even change the shape of the roof of the mouth.

Children with these alignment issues may have trouble speaking and eating properly. The issues can also affect self-confidence when teeth jut out or are crowded. These problems often require years of orthodontic care to correct once your child's adult teeth erupt.

Thumbs are also home to countless bacteria that can cause gum tissue infections and promote decay. These problems may lead to premature tooth loss and keep adult teeth from erupting in the proper position. The result is more alignment issues that require orthodontic care.

How Can You Help Your Child Stop?

Rather than making your child feel like they're doing something wrong, explain the benefits of breaking the habit. Let them know it'll keep them from getting sick and protect their teeth.

Also, focus on when they're sucking. For example, they may do it when meeting new people, visiting new places, or getting ready for bed, which are signs that they do it to manage stress. Hold your child so they feel more comfortable in these situations, or offer them a stuffed animal or bedtime story to calm them down. Criticism may only generate more stress and sucking, so gently remind them to stop and reward them on days where they don't thumb-suck.

If you have more questions about this habit and its effects on your child, contact the pediatric dentists at Genovese Dental. This team creates a relaxing experience for patients of all ages in Cottleville, MO. They offer a variety of services, including preventive care and general exams. Call (636) 928-4090 to schedule a dentist appointment today, and visit their website to learn more about the practice.