Still Suffering From Thumb Sucking?

Thumb sucking is a natural occurrence for most children through their early developmental stage. The impulse is present on a regular basis, and there are few things as handy as a thumb. The problem is that this can be one of the first bad habits anyone can acquire, and especially children who are reactionary entities at this point in life. It is important for parents to recognize when their children are not outgrowing this behavior because extended thumb sucking can easily lead to dental and jaw problems in the future. The medical professionals at La Costa Dental understand this issue for parents and can offer some sage advice on preventing eventual dental damage.

Protruding Teeth

One of the first concerns with children who continue thumb sucking beyond a reasonable time frame is eventual protruding front teeth as they develop. The sucking motion can cause the teeth to grow forward from constant activity that puts pressure on the front gums incrementally. It may seem harmless at first, and little damage is done when the child stops early, but extending the thumb sucking habit can eventually help in continuing the forward tilt of the teeth through pressure on the palate area.

Extenuating Factors

The fact that your child sucks their thumb is not usual. It is actually perfectly normal. The main concerns will eventually become age, regularity, and intensity. While a child is teething the action can be regular, if not constant, and can become very intense when teething pain is occurring. The habitual problem becomes intensity and constant activity out of convenience. The thumb and the pacifier are effectively the same tool for the child at this point, and pacifiers can be difficult to locate. Pay attention to your child when they are using the thumb as a replacement, and always keep pacifiers close at hand until the time comes to stop the behavior.

When You Should Intervene

Our La Costa Dental professionals agree that thumb sucking prior to tooth development is not necessarily a concern in most situations. However, if the child continues thumb sucking beyond age 3, the problems will typically begin. If they continue from time to time up to the age of 5, the result could be even more serious, as teeth are beginning to develop toward the initial shedding before late adolescence. This can still impact teeth alignment as permanent teeth come in, and parents should be aware 

For more information regarding how thumb sucking can impact your children, contact La Costa Dental or our dentist in La Jolla or our Carlsbad dentist office.