Posted on December 18, 2020
All about Thumb Sucking and Dental Care
All babies have the natural instinct to suck their thumbs. It starts out as a comfort mechanism, when young infants suck on their fingers, toys, or pacifiers to help soothe themselves and often to help them fall asleep. There is nothing wrong with this while the child is young.
A general rule of thumb is that by the time the child's permanent teeth start to come through, it's a good time to start breaking he habit. To purchase thumb sucking prevention devices online, you can hop over to this website.
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While children are young, their jaw bone and roof of their mouths are growing and can be changed by the sucking pressure. Usually between the ages of 2 and 4 is when children start to break the habit.
What Does It Do?
Depending on how old the child is, what the child is sucking on, like a pacifier or finger, how hard they are sucking, and for how long can all be factors that determine the outcome of the thumb sucking, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).
What should I pay attention to?
Try to help your child stop sucking on thumbs, fingers, pacifiers, etc. After the adult teeth enter. If you notice your child's front teeth are falling out instead of bumping edge to edge, seek advice from your dentist. If your child still sucks their thumb after age 5, it's best to take steps to combat the behavior before problems arise.