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| From spacing |
Thumb sucking is a common habit among many children. It is common with children under two and is associated with the need to seek food. In some infants it can signal fatigue, sleep, hunger, teething and shynes.If the child continuous the habit after the age of 5 ie when the permanent teeth is erupting then it is harmful as they can develop malocclusion like open bite. The intensity of thumb sucking is a factor which determines whether or not dental problems may occur. Vigorous thumb suckers will have more dental problems.
It is done to comfort your child when they are:
1) Bored
2) Tired
3) Worried
4) Feeling stressed .
The possible effects of thumb sucking for children after the age of three is:
1) Reshape the jawbone because their jawbones are still soft and pliable
2) Teeth grow out of aliment and position
3) Narrows dental arches which cause the next problem
4)Upper front teeth will flare out and tip upward
5) Lower teeth will move inward
Affect growth of child's palate (roof of the mouth) causing:
1) Poor tongue placement
2) Problems chewing
3) Problems with learning to swallow properly. The tongue plays a major role in swallowing. For people who don't suck their thumb or finger, their tongue goes up behind the roof of their mouth as they swallow and this causes a seal. But, when trying to swallow while sucking the thumb or finger, the tongue is thrust forward, in between the front teeth. This action makes swallowing difficult and will require re-training to correct the tongue movement.
4) Problems speaking
5) Overbite or open bite
6) Make tonsils collapse to cause snoring
7)The skeletal deformities which can develop can lead to insecurities and self-image problems, particularly in children.
8) Cause infections to develop around fingernails to spread infectious diseases.
Kids who continue to suck their fingers or thumb by the age of 4 to 5 were more likely to develop:
1) develop protruding front teeth
2) an irregular bite
3) affect the development of the jaw
4) influence the placement of developing teeth.
TREATMENT
It is important to stop the thumb sucking habit BEFORE permanent teeth come in. Breaking the habit sooner will make it easier for you, the parent, your child and their mouth!
If they can not stop on their own, by the ages of two to four, they may need help:
• Don't pressure your child to stop, this can reinforce the habit .
• Talk to them about the reasons and ways to work together to stop the habit.
• Praise them when they do not suck their thumb
• Don't get frustrated with your child; this tends to make the habit worse.
• If they suck because they feel insecure, focus on eliminating the cause of the anxiety or if they do it for comfort, offer them comfort instead of sucking their thumb.
• If your child is older, involve them in choosing the method of stopping.
• Remind your child of his habit by bandaging his thumb or putting a sock on his hand at bedtime .
• Ask your dentist to explain to your child the effects of thumb sucking and encourage him to quit.
• The Thumbguard is a device that is attached to a child's wrist using a colorful bracelet. When attached properly, a child can not remove T-Guard. The children must wear the appliance whenever they may be tempted to suck. It comes in different bright colors.
• See your orthodontist and learn about a “ fence” which is an appliance that will help your child to stop sucking their thumb.(see the picture below)
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| From spacing |