How Does Thumb Sucking Affect Teeth?

You want your child to grow up happy and healthy, so you can’t help but wonder, “How does thumb sucking affect teeth?” You worry that the behavior will impact your child’s teeth, but you don’t want to break the habit unless it’s necessary. After you learn the answer to, “How does thumb sucking affect teeth?” you’ll know what you need to do moving forward.

How Does Thumb Sucking Affect Teeth – A Timeline

When researching, “How does thumb sucking affect teeth?” you will learn that it’s safe for children to suck their thumbs up to the age of 4. Early on, thumb sucking is a safe behavior that has various benefits, such as soothing the child. You don’t want to break your child of the habit too early since you want your baby to be soothed at times of stress.

That’s just part of the answer to the question, “How does thumb sucking affect teeth?” To get the full answer, you need to understand what happens if thumb sucking goes on for too long.

As your child’s mouth and teeth start to develop and grow, thumb sucking becomes dangerous. Around the age of 4, this behavior can impact the development of the jaw and roof of the mouth. It can also make it difficult for the permanent teeth to erupt and can lead to an overbite. That’s important to understand when asking, “How does thumb sucking affect teeth?”

There’s another problem that many parents don’t think about when researching, “How does thumb sucking affect teeth?” Thumb sucking can lead to speech issues. This can cause your child to have difficulty in school and could carry on into his or her adult life.

Breaking the Habit – How You Can Help

When your child gets close to 4 years of age, it’s time to break the habit. Begin by discussing what you learned when researching how thumb sucking does affect teeth. Your child needs to understand why it’s important to break the habit.

Use positive reinforcement, such as praise and rewards, to help your child stop sucking his or her thumb. Understand that there will be setbacks but focus on the positive until your child is over the habit.

Get More Details About How Thumb Sucking Does Affect Teeth

Dr. Nebblett and the team at Freehold Orthodontics are experts in orthodontics. We are happy to answer any questions pertaining to Invisalign, braces, clear braces, and Invisalign Teen in Marlboro, NJ, 07726, and the surrounding areas. If you would like to set up a complimentary consultation with Dr. Nebblett, please contact Freehold Orthodontics at 732-462-0700 or visit https://freeholdortho.com.