If you’re a new parent, and your child sucks his or her thumb, no doubt you’ve already heard lots of “helpful” advice about the habit. This advice has probably been all over the place, from people telling you it’s no big deal, to people telling you to make your child stop immediately. But what is the truth? Is thumb sucking a problem? To find the answer, let’s take a look at the advice offered by a prominent office of Kids dentistry haymarket va.
Between 75% and 95% of infants suck their thumbs, and in most cases, it’s not a cause for concern. Sucking is a natural reflex, and provides a sense of comfort and security to infants and small children. And according to the SmileZ Pediatric Dental Group, thumb sucking isn’t anything to worry about – in most cases. If your child “sucks passively, with his thumb gently resting inside his mouth”, there’s no need for concern, as this type of passive sucking isn’t likely to damage teeth.
If your child is an aggressive sucker, on the other hand, there may be a reason for concern. Aggressive sucking places unnatural pressure on the mouth and teeth, which can lead to problems with tooth alignment and proper mouth growth. In turn, this can lead to the need for orthodontic treatments in the future. If your child shows this type of thumb sucking, SmileZ Pediatric Dental Group recommends making an appointment for Kids dentistry haymarket va, for help assessing the situation. If your child’s habit is in fact harming his or her oral health, your child’s dentist can help you make a plan to “kick the habit”.
According to the American Dental Association, most children stop sucking their thumbs on their own, somewhere between the ages of two and four. This means that unless your child’s thumb sucking habit is affecting his or her oral health, there’s no need to worry – and no need to step in and try to “break” him or her of the habit. If your child is still thumb sucking when his or her permanent teeth start to erupt, (around the age of 6), you can think about helping him or her break the habit at that point.
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