How Bad can Pacifiers and Thumb Sucking be for your Child?

It’s a natural reflex for babies to suck on their thumbs or a pacifier. It helps them feel comforted. However, this can cause damage to a child’s teeth and mouth if it goes on for too long.

Thumb-Sucking

Babies have a natural urge to suck. This urge reduces after about 6 months but some babies still keep sucking their thumbs to calm themselves. If the sucking continues past the age of 5 years, this could be a sign of an emotional problem.

Effects of Thumb-Sucking

Thumb-sucking or sucking on a pacifier, after a child’s teeth have begun developing, can give rise to major problems. It can ruin the alignment of the teeth. It can also lead to middle-ear infections and may require surgery to fix the issue.

If your child begins to develop speech or dental issues, or a callus on their thumb, it is time to think about getting help for your child’s habit.

Some long-term effects of thumb sucking include –

• Teeth becoming misaligned which may cause formation of an overbite or an underbite
• Development of a lisp
• Germs from your thumb traveling to the rest of your body
• Sensitivity or altered shape of roof of the mouth

Here are some useful tips on stopping your child from sucking their thumbs –

• Don’t punish or scold your child for sucking their thumbs. It may increase stress, pushing your child to suck their thumbs even more.
• Teach your child why sucking their thumbs is a bad idea. Explain the long-term effects and the problems it may cause later.
• Reduce stress because it could be a big reason why your child sucks their thumbs.
• When the child sucks at the thumb, distract him/her with a toy or music.

To help your child stop using the pacifier, cut it shorter or pierce it through. This reduces the satisfaction a child may be getting from sucking on the pacifier and may reduce their desire for it.

Older children often suck their thumbs as a result of anxiety, insecurity or discomfort. To help them stop, listen to their emotional needs and help them to feel comforted, loved, and supported.

While thumb-sucking or using pacifiers are not inherently bad, they can certainly create troublesome and expensive dental problems if such a habit is not stopped at the right time. Use this information to help your child before their teeth become affected.

To learn more about treatment for cavities or to consult the leading Topeka KS kids dentist, call Covenant Family Dental Care at 785-268-6282 Today. The Covenant Family Dental Care team is committed to providing you a relaxing and positive dental health and care experience.

About This Author

Covenant Family Dental Care Joined: August 24th, 2018