Thumb

Sucking
Natural
Instinct
Thumb-sucking is a natural instinct, most kids suck their thumbs
because its soothing. When babies suck on for being breast fed or a
bottle, it provides comfort. As the gro! into toddlers, the continue the
sucking habit as a !a to soothe themselves !hen the are tired, bored
or an"ious.
#egardless of !hether children use their thumbs, $ngers or a paci$er,
sucking helps them feel secure, and placing ob%ects in their mouths
enables infants to e"plore their environment.
Normal thumb-sucking or paci$er use !ont a&ect oung children.
'hildren usuall stop on their o!n after the turn (, and thumb-sucking
is considered safe until the age of ). *arents need onl !orr if the child
does not stop thumb-sucking b this age, as it can a&ect both their
permanent and bab teeth.
If thumb-sucking is prolonged, our child ma develop some of the
follo!ing dental problems+
,alocclusion - Thumb-sucking can cause a malocclusion .the improper
alignment of teeth/. 0uckil, the problem ma correct itself if the child
stops earl.
*alate 1evelopment - The roof of the mouth .the palate/, ma become
malformed as a result of thumb-sucking.
Speech *roblems - 'hildren can develop a lisp, have trouble !ith
pronunciation or end up !ith a tongue thrust.
There is a link bet!een the intensit and length of thumb-sucking and
damage done to the teeth+ 'hildren !ho have an aggressive sucking
pattern or suck their thumb !ell beond the age that most others 2uit
increase their chances of needing the help of an orthodontist.
3o! to stop the habit4
Talk to our child. 5"plain !hat oure !orried about. 6ids respond better
!hen the kno! !h the are being told 7no.8
5nforce thumb sucking limits. 9iving up the thumb all at once isnt eas
for a child.
*rovide a replacement coping skill. 0ike adults, kids $nd it hard to break
habits if the dont have an alternative !a of coping. 'onsider letting
our child have a 7love8 or 7$dget8 to s2uee:e !hen there an"ious.
3elp our child recogni:e the habit. Not all kids are conscious that the
are sucking their thumbs, especiall !hen there bored or tired. *ointing
it out can help them become more self-a!are.
5nlist our dentists help. It is al!as advisable to stop the habit before
the permanent teeth come in .or before age ;/. If no other choices
!orked out, a dentist can help e"plain ho! sucking their thumb can push
those ne! teeth out of alignment and also there are man appliances
!hich aids to break the habit.
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