Amongst children, thumb sucking remains a common habit. In those under two years of age it is associated with a desire for food. Almost a third of infants have the habit although most grow out of it by the age of five. It is not harmful to your teeth unless it is done during the period of development of permanent teeth, around the ages of five or six.
Thumb sucking can be a sign of fatigue or boredom or that your child is worried or stressed. It can cause teeth to become misaligned because of the presence of the thumb in the mouth when permanent teeth ought to be developing the natural way. Your child’s upper front teeth may begin to protrude outwards with the opposite occurring in the lower front teeth. The roof of the mouth may be affected too leading to problems with tongue positioning and even swallowing or speaking.
For these reasons it is important that children stop sucking their thumb by the age of about four. This can be difficult but with the right combination of gentle persuasion and communication your child can avoid the associated problems. Applying too much pressure to the child may reinforced their desire to thumb such so a better tactic is to discuss with them why they do it and praise them when they manage not to.
Your Leeds dentist can help with this process by explaining to your child the problems that may occur if they continue thumb sucking. Ask him or her to help today if you are worried about your child’s thumb sucking habit and the issues that it may cause
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